The Strength in Weakness
by l OmegaInfinity l
Summary: Sometimes, to see the best in someone else, you have to see yourself at your weakest. P/MC
1. Chapter 1: Captured

**Chapter 1: Captured**

**Authors Notes: Let me start off by saying that though I love Storm Hawks, I haven't watched the show in a while. I've started to watch it all again, but, still, I apologize if there's any inconsistency.**

**Second, this is my first attempt at a girl/girl relationship, and I'm not too great at romance, but I think these two deserve for me to at least try. **

**Okay, Enough with my excuses. Let's get started!**

* * *

The Cyclonian wind whipped my face. Darkness loomed across the ground below. Talons swarm around me, weapons at the ready in case I try to escape, though they already know I won't. Snipe jerks on the chain connected to my hand cuffs, causing me to stumble, pulling me ever closer to our destination: Master Cyclonis' Tower.

And all the while, I can't stop the tears from falling.

Maybe I should start from the beginning.

My name is Piper, and I'm a Skynight. I'm also the navigation and tactics specialist of the Storm Hawks. My team relies on me to make our plans.

And it was such a good plan.

We'd heard that a large number Cyclonians were gathering near Terra Blizzaris. So we decided to check it out. I think we all knew the real reason we we're going wasn't to strike another blow to Master Cyclonis. It was just an excuse so we could hang out with our Blizzarian friends and 'shred some ice,' as Finn put it.

It didn't take long to find the Cyclonians. After Aerrow did a quick recon, we found out that the Cyclonians had discovered a large quantity of raw crystals right beneath the surface and were mining it out to an airship hovering nearby. With this many crystals, Master Cyclonis had the potential to cause some real damage. So, naturally, we had to stop them.

Thanks to one of Blizzaris' famous blizzards, Finn would swoop underneath the Cyclonian airship undetected, planting Swarm crystals along the engine constraints. Once Finn was a good distance from the ship, he'd put his marksmen skills to work setting off each crystals. Once activated, the crystals would cause the constraints to disintegrate, separating the ship from its engines, sending the ship plummeting into the Wastelands. In the ensuing confusion, me, Junko, and Aerrow would land at the mine. While Junko distracted the Talons on the ground and Finn and Radarr, using Aerrow's Skimmer, would take out the ones in the air, Aerrow and I would sneak into the mine, taking as many crystals as we could carry.

Hey, no need for all those crystals to go to waste, right? At least they'd be in the hands of the good guys.

After getting the crystals, Aerrow and I would rig some Cooking crystals on the mine's support beams. By the time the crystals burned through the beams and buried the mine, we'd be long gone. Once we were out of the mine, Stork would bring in the _Condor _and give us covering fire while we made a hasty retreat to the far side of the Terra to meet up with Suzy-lu and her team.

For the most part, everything went perfectly. Aside from Finn slamming his Skimmer into the airship a few times, it couldn't have gone better. The engines separated, the ship fell, and the Talons ran around like idiots trying to figure out what was going on. By the time we hit the ground, half the Talons had already been shot down, and most of the men on the ground were running away into the frozen country side. The few that didn't quickly wished they had, as 400 pounds of angry Wallop came charging at them. Everything was going perfectly.

Until we entered the mine.

We didn't have to go far to find the crystals. Several mine carts full of them were only a few hundred feet past the entrance. Being the crystal fanatic of the team, I ran right over and started stuffing my bag. "Look at all these crystals, Aerrow! Think of the possibilities! This might actually give us the power to stop Cyclonia!"

My mind was racing, all of my knowledge of crystals flooding my thoughts. All I could think about was all the potential that these crystals had, all the new experiments I could try.

So I barely heard Aerrow when he said that something wasn't right.

If I would have just looked around before rushing over to the carts, this whole thing never would have happened. I would have noticed the Firebolt crystals already planted on the support beams.

As you might have guessed, it was a trap.

I still can't believe I let this happen. I mean, this is something you'd expect from Finn, not from me.

Aerrow's the only reason I'm alive. He pulled me out of the way as just as the first crystals blew, sending several tons of rock and rubble crashing down right where I'd been standing. As the mine collapsed behind us, running that few hundred feet felt like an eternity before we leaped clear into the cold Blizzarian air, a large dust cloud engulfing us. Once the I could see again, my heart stopped.

It was my worst nightmare come to life. Snipe, Ravess, and Dark Ace stared smugly down at us. Talons surrounded us, their weapons leveled at out heads, ready to execute us in a moments notice. Above us, three Cyclonian warships hung in the air, enemy Skimmers swirling around them like vultures. Junko's Skimmer and my Heli-scooter impossible to get to, swallowed by the sea of Cyclonian red surrounding us. The worst part? Finn, Junko, and Radarr, bound and gagged at the feet of the Dark Ace. I could see Aerrow's Skimmer, battered, but still flyable, laying on its side a little ways off. I assumed that the pile of scrap metal next to it was what was left of Finn's.

Everything went about how you'd expect. Dark Ace monologued about our insignificance, Aerrow denied it, said that they'd never get away with it. The Cyclonians laughed. Then Dark Ace asked how we were going to stop them.

Thank God for Stork. If it wasn't for him, we all would have been captured. The _Condor_ had never looked more beautiful then she did at that moment, flying out of the Blizzarian clouds like an angel from Heaven. Don't ask me how he did it. I still don't know. All I remember is a massive explosion as one of the Cyclonian warships exploded above us, then the chaos as the _Condor_ opened fire on the Cyclonian ground forces. The three Cyclonian generals looked up in both confusion and anger. That brief moment of lost focus was all Aerrow needed to leap forward, slicing our three captured friends loose and landing a high kick to Dark Ace's back. Before the three generals could react, I threw Aerrow my last Rainbow Smoke Crystal. When he smashed it to the ground, a multi-colored cloud of smoke erupted, making visibility to near zero.

I bolted towards my Heli-scooter, jumping over any Talon in my way. I took off just as the smoke cloud dissipated. Once I was out of reach of the Talon's hands, I looked over my shoulder and say, to my relief, that the others had made it into the air as well. Even Finn had made it, hitching a ride with Junko.

I didn't have much time to celebrate, though. There were still two warships in the air, not to mention six dozen Talon Skimmers and God-knows-how-many shooting at us from the ground. Luckily, this is moment is where my Heli-scooter shined. What it lacked in speed and armor, it made up for in maneuverability. While the others simply out ran the Talon attacks, I danced around them. At times like this, I didn't think of aerial battles as combat. To me, it was art.

Above me, Stork was doing something similar, having the _Condor_ side-wind between the two warships, causing half their shots to go flying off into the empty sky, and the other half to hit each other.

I pointed my Heli-scooter towards the _Condor_, pushing it's small engine as hard as it could. Finn and Junko had already made it back to the ship and were manning the main cannons, trying to clear a path for me and Aerrow.

Just as I thought I was going to make it, I heard a small buzzing sound. Before I could look back to see what it was, a purple flash blinded me. My scooter was blasted to the side, almost causing me to fall off. When I regained my balance, I tied to grab the handlebars. My heart sunk as my hands grasped empty air.

Someone, probably Ravess, had managed to aim a Firebolt arrow at the front of my scooter without me seeing it. My entire steering column was destroyed. Without it, my scooter could only so the last thing I had told it to do: fly in a straight line. I was a sitting duck.

As I looked behind me, I saw Ravess notch another arrow. When she saw my eyes widen in fear, a cruel smirk formed on her lips as she took aim.

Suddenly Aerrow nosedived straight at her, sword at the ready. Once he was in range, he took a swipe at her. She flinched out of his way, but that flinch messed up her aim. I swear I actually felt the heat from the Firebolt crystal as flew past me.

Like a Skynight in shining armor, Aerrow swooped in towards my doomed Heli-scooter. "Take my hand!" he yelled to me. I reach out to him. I actually felt our fingers touch.

We never saw him coming. Dark Ace flew straight up between us, forcing Aerrow to serve away as my wayward scooter kept flying straight ahead. I turned my head around to look for Aerrow. What I saw instead was Ravess, milliseconds before seeing the arrow aimed at my rotors.

After that, every thing's a blur. I know I pulled my chute, but nothing happened. Maybe it was shredded by shrapnel, maybe Dark Ace cut the straps on it; I don't know! All I know is that after that arrow demolished my rotors, all I could do was hang on to the remains of my scooter for dear life as the would spun around me. The only thing I remember for sure was hearing Aerrow yell my name before I hit the ground.

I don't know how long I was out. It could have been days, it could have been just a few seconds. When I woke up, I couldn't feel my legs. Actually, I couldn't feel anything. You ever lay down in the snow till your skin turns red and feels numb? Imagine that, except your wearing a skin-tight, sleeveless jumpsuit, and you have the twisted remains of a Heli-scooter pinning your legs to the ground.

I tried to push the scooter off of me, but the cold, the grueling battle, and the bone-shattering crash had completely sapped my strength.

So I just laid there. I laid there and prayed. To who, I'm not sure. I just prayed that someone, _anyone_, would save me.

Be careful what you wish for.

Just as my eyes started to close, with my dark skin turning paler and paler, I saw the form of a person walking towards me through the blizzard air. He was big and muscular.

"J-J-J-Ju-u-u-nko?" I called pitifully through chattering teeth.

A dark cackle answered back. "You wish."

Snipe came closer. When he was over me, he lifted his mace over his head. With no other choice, I just closed my eyes and waited for the end.

"Stop!"

_Clang!_

My eyes opened as far as I could manage, weak as I was. Dark Ace had intercepted the blow with his sword. He and Snipe were staring at each other with a murderous glare. Snipe actually growled at Dark Ace.

Unfazed, Dark Ace simply stared him down. "Master Cyclonis wants the Storm Hawks _alive_. We're luck to have found this one. Do you really want to be the one to tell her that we let the others escape and that _you_ killed the only one we captured?"

Snipe stared at him for another minute. Then, with a grumble, he tore his mace away from Dark Ace's sword and returned it to it's sheath. With a single kick, he sent my wreaked Heli-scooter flying. With one hand, he grabbed me roughly around the waist, jerked me out of the snow, and hoisted me over his shoulder.

When they took me to their ship, Snipe literally through me into a holding cell. As cold metal met my even colder body, I found that just couldn't move. My body wouldn't answer my thoughts. So I laid there, motionless.

About an hour latter, my door opened. It was Ravess. I expected her to start ranting on her victory over me, maybe even literally kick me while I was down. Instead, she turned me over on my back. Then, to my surprise, she picked me up, gently, and set me down on the cells bed.

Maybe she was being sympathetic because we were both girls. Maybe she just didn't want to bring a sick prisoner before Master Cyclonis. All I know is that from the Healing crystal to when she pulled the covers over me before she left, I had never felt more grateful. Ravess never made eye contact the entire time. Before she left, she said, with her back to me, "Sleep. Rest. You'll need it for what Master Cyclonis has planned for you."

Not exactly a good thought to try and rest on, but I tried my best. To be honest, I knew that I wouldn't make it to Cyclonia. I knew Aerrow wouldn't leave me behind. I knew that any minute, alarms would start blaring and I'd see the _Condor_ out my window.

And I was right.

I was awakened by the airship lurching to the right. Then the alarms started blaring, and I could hear Talons running franticly up and down the hall. Still weak, but better then before, I got up and went to the window. The normally blue sky was tinted red, meaning that we were close to Cyclonia. But that thought vanished when I saw the _Condor_ fly past my window, cannons blazing. Then the warship returned fire. It was kind of surreal, being on the point of view of the Cyclonian's side of the battle.

I didn't have time to dwell on that, because Aerrow's Skimmer flew into my view. When he saw me, he tuned his Skimmer towards my window. Without hesitation, he leaped of his Skimmer, sword at the ready. He plunged the blade into the side of the warship, the sword actually going through the wall of my cell. He flashed me a smile before going to work. Radarr took off to avoid the Talons that were converging on him, probably to distract them so Aerrow could get me out.

Sparks started to fly as Aerrow started cutting through the wall with something I couldn't see, probably one of Stork's inventions. I stepped away from the wall as it started to glow red, before an orange blade came through. Slowly, the blade made it's way down the wall, leaving a glowing cut behind it.

Aerrow had almost gotten the blade to the floor, when I saw something behind him that froze my heart. I pounded against the wall, staring at Aerrow through the window. "Aerrow!" I screamed. "Behind you!"

He turned around too late. Dark Ace raised his sword over his head. The Phoenix crystal equipped to it glowed as a jet of flames jetted across the sky.

Aerrow barely had time to yell as he was engulfed. With nothing to fuel them, the flames quickly died away. Aerrow was in bad shape: his skin was burned, and his clothes were blackened. For one fleeting moment, our eyes met. In his eyes I could see two things: his pain...

...and his despair. Despair in knowing that he failed.

Aerrow's eyes closed as he lost his grip. He passed out, his body going into free-fall, falling out of my sight. I think I screamed.

Dark Ace dived down after him. I desperately tried to do the impossible and look down to see them. Out of nowhere, Aerrow's Skimmer shot back into my view, Radarr at the controls. Aerrow was slumped over in his seat, out cold. Radarr gave me a desperate look, as if asking me what to do. Then he looked back to the _Condor_.

The _Condor._

The once proud airship was in tatters. Holes were blasted all throughout the hull. Windows were shattered. The port-side engine was on fire. Talons were swarming around it, doing whatever damage they could. The ships cannons were firing blindly, Finn and Junko trying to delay the Talons as long as they could.

In that moment, I came to a realization. As much as I wanted to escape, I knew the cost would be to great. The _Condor_ wasn't going to last much longer, Aerrow needed help. And he's the leader. I'm just the navigator. So I did the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

"Go, Radarr! Get Aerrow out of here!"

Radarr's eyes widened. His shook his head slightly, saying he didn't want to.

"Go!"

The rabbit-lemurs eyes dropped for a moment. Then he looked back to me, determination in his eyes. He gave me a small nod.

The Skimmer twisted through the air, making it's way back to the damaged _Condor, _Dark Ace on their heels. Radarr pulled of moves I'd never even imagined before with perfect precision, slipping between Talons like they weren't even moving. How he manged to both ditch Dark Ace and get to the airship in one piece will forever be a mystery.

The _Condor _stayed on course for a few more moments. I could imagine Radarr trying to convince the others to give up and retreat. My guess is that he slipped a Velocity crystal into the engine before the others could stop him, because with no warning, the _Condor_ shot of into the distance, quickly becoming just a dot on the horizon before vanishing.

When the ship was gone, it finally hit me: I lost. I wasn't going to be rescued. I was really going to be taken to Cyclonia, to have Master Cyclonis do God-knows-what to me. There was no chance of escape. Aerrow hadn't done near enough damage to the room for that. And to add to my despair, Aerrow's sword was still plunged into the wall, mocking me, telling me just how close I was to almost escaping, and what that 'almost' might have cost me.

So I did what most people with no hope did. I cried. I pushed myself up against a corner of the room, curled up into a ball, and cried. I've never felt so hopeless.

I stayed like that for hours. At one point I heard the door open, but I didn't look up to see who it was. It was probably someone checking to make sure I hadn't escaped in the battle. The door soon closed, leaving me alone once more.

Soon, I felt the ship touch down. We'd reached our destination: Cyclonia. Ravess opened the door and pulled me to my feet. My eyes stayed to the ground as she slipped a pair of handcuffs on me. I never looked up as Snipe attached a chain to the cuffs and lead me out of the ship.

And that leads us to now.

As we traveled through the Tower, I noticed on thing through my bloodshot eyes: there were no people. Aside from the occasional Talon guard, the entire tower was empty. Empty and quiet. The only sound was our feet on the stone floor, and even that sounded muffled somehow.

As they led me deeper into the Tower, I strange sound started to build, muffled at first, but getting clearer the farther we went. It was a sharp crackling sound, like lightning. Further down the hall purple light flashed.

We entered a vast chamber of purple stone. Crystals were the only source of light. At the end of the chamber was a spider-like machine, crystals of all kinds held in it's grip. And at it's base, back facing us, was...her.

Master Cyclonis.

She was the source of the lightning, a bolt flying from in front of her every few seconds.

As we neared closer to her, the generals seemed to get a little nervous. Ravess kept her head down, similar to how I was. Snips legs were actually wobbling, making a shaking sound that would have been funny, if not for the feelings of fear and hopelessness that was closed around my heart. Even Dark Ace seemed effected. His usual smug look was replaced with one of deep anger hiding beneath the surface.

She didn't turn around. We stood there for a few minutes while more lightning shoot out in front of the Cyclonian dictator. Eventually, back still to us, she spoke. "Speak."

Dark Ace stepped forward. "The Storm Hawks escaped. We lost a warship."

Master Cyclonia still didn't turn around. "That is...unfortunate." Her words were spoken calmly. Too calmly. She gripped her staff.

Before she did anything else, Dark Ace spoke again. "However, we did manage to capture one of them."

At that, her head tilted up. Slowly she turned around. Quickly I ducked my head down, doing whatever I could to avoid eye contact with her. Still the tears fell.

Everything was quiet for a moment. The tension in the air made it hard to breath. At least, thats how it seemed to me.

Finally, Master Cyclonis spoke. "Leave us."

Dark Ace was taken aback. "But, you majesty..."

Cyclonis banged her staff on the ground, sending a web of lightning into the air. "I said leave!"

Snipe didn't need to be told again. He flat out dropped my chains and ran out of the room. Ravess wasn't much better. She gave Cyclonis a bow, said "you, majesty" and ran after her brother. Dark Ace was less willing to leave. He stared at the queen for a moment before stalking out of the room.

And that left me alone with Master Cyclonis. The person in charge off the greatest threat ever to plague the Terras, and I was the only the only thing for her to focus on.

I waited for her to say something. After a few minutes I heard the sound of footsteps as she walked up to me. Still I kept my eyes on the ground. Then her boots entered my field of vision. She was right in front of me.

"Piper..."

He voice surprised me. Unlike when she spoke to her subordinates, in which case she sounded cold and threatening, right now, her voice was calm and soft. I kept my eyes down, tears still falling. I

"Piper..." she said again. "Look at me."

At first, I contemplated defying her, to try and keep true to the Storm Hawks code of fighting Cyclonia no matter the cost. But, I couldn't do it. After being almost buried, blown up, frozen, and having hope snatched away from me twice, all in one day, I just lost the will to fight. So I looked up. What I saw on her face was the last thing I ever expected to see from the Master of Cyclonia.

Concern.

"Piper...why are you crying?"

I don't know why it happened. A moment ago, I was ready to give up, to completely give myself over to Cyclonia. But for some reason, when I heard her say that, something new formed inside of me. From the pain, sadness, and hopelessness, came something I had never felt so strongly before.

Rage.

"Why am I crying? _Why_ am I crying?" Master Cyclonis actually flinched back. I felt a look of rage twist on my face. "You sent an army after us! You had them try to capture my entire squadron. You had me shoot down. I almost froze to death! I just watched Dark Ace almost incinerate Aerrow." The tears were coming back even stronger then before. "He was hurt so bad, he might not make it. For all I know, I just saw my squad leader die right in front of me. And you're asking me why I'm crying?"

My outburst burned itself out just as quickly as it arrived. I sunk to the ground, sobbing openly.

Master Cyclonis looked down at me. Apparently my words had removed any sympathy that she had for me. "You Storm Hawks are the only thing standing in my way of taking over all of Atmos. No matter what plan I make, you six are always there to foil it. Without you, nothing can stop me."

"Then why did you bring me here?" I could still muster a little anger. "We didn't you just have me killed."

For a brief moment, that softness returned to her eyes. Then she smirked. "It's the same reason you keep defeating my soldiers that makes you so valuable."

I was confused. "What?"

"The Storm Hawks have traveled to more Terras then any other squadron in the history of the Skyknights, as well as having worked with every squadron in existence. You know how they operate. You know all their strengths..." She leaned down and whispered in my ear. "...and weaknesses."

My eyes widened. Then, despite my self, I started to laugh. It was completely out of place, and I don't even know why I laughed, but after everything that had happened to me today, I think I deserved to be a little hysterical. The weird thing is that I still cried, even while laughing.

Master Cyclonis just watched me with a mixed look of amusement and something I couldn't place. Pity maybe?

After a minute, I calmed down enough to speak. "Wha-What makes you think I-heck, any of us- would betray the other Skyknights like that?"

"So I take it you won't just tell me their secrets?"

Tears still flowing, I formed the most defiant look I could. "Never in a million years."

Master Cyclonis' smirk grew. "Unfortunate." She reached into her robes and pulled out a glowing pink crystal, so smooth it almost looked like a ball of energy. "Tell me Piper: do you know what this is?"

To my shock, I was forced to answer "No." I thought I knew every crystal known to Atmos, but this one was unlike any I'd ever seen before.

My answer seemed to amuse her. She held the smooth crystal in front of me. "This is the Mental-Absorption crystal. My own invention."

"Mental-Absorption...?" I asked perplexed. Then my eyes widened as as the reality of what she was talking about meant. "You don't seriously mean..."

"Exactly. With this crystal, I can pull whatever I want from a persons mind into my own. Their thoughts, their feelings..." She laughed as my growing fear became more apparent. With a loud snap, she attached the crystal to her staff. "Even their memories. You wouldn't believe how many Talons I broke before I finally got it right."

I tried to back away from her, but she placed her foot on the chain connected to my cuffs. I looked up into her eyes. Pleading with her. "You can't do this."

She raised her staff to point it at me. Then she slowly let it back down. Her eyes gained that same strange softness from before. "I-I don't have to Piper. Not if you just tell me what I want to know." Was it my imagination or was..._she_ pleading with _me_? "Well Piper?" she asked in that soft, almost sad voice.

Still crying, still fearful, I looked her straight in the eyes. "Never."

The softness was was gone. In it's place was anger as she lifted her staff and pointed the glowing crystal at my head. "Then so be it."

In that last desperate moment, I took a gamble. "Don't do this." The crystal glowed brighter. I took a deep breath. "Please, Lark."

She froze. All emotion was washed away, replaced with a shocked, woeful look. In an instant that look vanished, replaced with a look that was more than rage. It was almost murderous.

I braced myself...

It wasn't enough. No one could have prepared themselves for this kind of torture. I could feel he physically tearing through my mind, searching for what she wanted. I could see every memory she found, and felt the stabbing pain when she simply tossed aside what she felt was useless, and the tearing sensation as she ripped what she wanted from me out of my head. It felt like she had grabbed my brain with her bare hands and was tearing it apart bit by bit.

The whole process took five minutes. The five longest minutes of my life. I knew I was screaming, even though I couldn't hear it.

The worst part was that I could feel her. It was faint, but I could feel her mind too. All I could feel was her emotions, but that was enough to add to my suffering. Anger. Frustration. Amusement. I felt them all. But the one thing that made no sense, the _only_ thing I could consciously think about throughout the entire thing, was the pain. _Her_ pain. Underlying everything I felt from her was a deep pain.

It ended as soon as it began. In an instant, I went from unrelenting pain to feeling nothing. I couldn't even form a conscious thought. As my mind tried to piece itself back together, I fell forward, every bit of strength leaving my body. I lay there, my entire body trembling. Occasionally I'd twitched violently. I couldn't even close my eyes.

I was barely aware of Master Cyclonis as she stumbled around the room. She held her head in both hands, her teeth clenched in pain.

Dark Ace entered the room. He rushed to the Cyclonian Queen's side. "Master Cyclonis, are you..."

"I'm fine!" She yelled at him. A few moments later, she let go of her head and regained her regal composure. She turned to Dark Ace. "Ready the warships." She ordered. "Prepare every Talon for battle." She looked down at me, still twitching, her face blank. "This war ends today."

And still the tears fall.

* * *

**A/N: Not much of the romance yet, but I'm happy with how it turned out. Tell what you think: should I keep going or should stop while I'm ahead? You decide.**


	2. Chapter 2: Secrets

**Chapter 2: Secrets**

I still hadn't fully recovered from being...from getting my mind...I'm sorry, I-I just can't bring myself to say the word. I feel hurt...no, it's more then that. I feel violated. I feel violated, like somethings been taken from me. You...you can put the pieces together yourself.

After Master Cyclonis...did..._that_...she wasted no time in putting her newly stolen information to use. She called in her generals, (Dark Ace, Snipe, Ravess, Repton, and a dozen or so Talon generals) and gave them their orders. I was still on the floor of her chamber, curled into a ball, tears still sliding silently down my cheeks. I listened in horror as she gave each of them a target, along with all the information they'd need to beat down any resistance. Flight tactics, fighting styles, equipment load outs, bases of operations, even things as minor as personality quirks that could be exploited; everything I had ever learned about my fellow Skyknights was being turned into a weapon for their destruction right in front of me. Blizzaris, Sharr, Wallop; all would fall at the hand of Cyclonia.

As Master Cyclonis gave her orders, I realized that it wasn't just my memories she had taken from me; she'd also absorbed my skill for making plans. As she spoke, I had to admit despite myself that her plan for total domination of the Atmos was almost perfect. Realizing what I had just thought made me want to throw up.

My presence was not unnoticed. Every few minutes one of the generals, save for Dark Ace, would glance at me, though whether from curiosity, pity, or something else I don't know.

From the look of the generals, they were surprised, if not shocked, to hear their Master go into such detail over her battle plan. Eventually, one certain scale-covered general became irritated. "Excuse me for interrupting, _Master_," Sarcasm oozed from Repton's last word. "But since when do you call the shots so thorough?"

Cyclonis' eyes narrowed at him, but a smug smirk remained on her face. "If you must know, I will explain." She pointed her staff at me. I flinched instinctively, expecting some sort of attack. "I trust you know who this is?"

Repton snarled, though whether it was at me or her I don't know. "Of course I know who it is! It's that Storm Hawk brat on the Heli-scooter."

Cyclonis' smirk deepened. "If that's all you know about her, then now it's of no surprise why you've always failed me."

Repton let out a hiss, which Cyclonis ignored.

"Piper here is..." She looked down at me with a smug look. For some reason the look on her face didn't match the look in her eyes. "...or rather, _was_ the Storm Hawks Battle Coordinator."

Battle Coordinator? I guess from a military point of view that's what I could be called. I still preferred the term tactics specialist, though.

Cyclonis continued. "In a way, that means that any loss you owe the Storm Hawks, you owe to her."

All eyes focused on me, each burning with some level of hate. Each Talon general looked me angrily, no doubt blaming me for each Talon that had been sent to the Wastelands thanks to me and my friends. Snipe, dumb brute that he was, took to this idea immediately as a look of rage formed on his face that I took to mean that all the hate for each individual Storm Hawk was now focused on me. Repton's lips pulled back in a snarl, showing off rows of razor sharp teeth. Ravess' eye twitched, though her face remained impassive. Only Dark Ace seemed unaffected by Cyclonis' words, most likely because no matter what she said, Aerrow would always be his target.

Master Cyclonis took no notice of their anger. "That's when it came to me: If Piper's strategies are the reason that my forces have always failed me," At this, an emotion I couldn't place erupted in Dark Ace's eyes, a look that Master Cyclonis did not see. "I began to wonder, 'what would happen if I took the planning that let five teenagers bring an empire to its knees time and again, and applied it to an entire army?' That's what brought me to the creation of _this_." With that held her staff out in front of her, the pink crystal at the end of it giving off a bright glow.

Repton eyed the crystal warily, though at the same time he barked out a laugh. "A crystal? What could a single crystal do to bring about what you say?"

Master Cyclonis smirked again, only this time there was a darkness behind it. "Simply put: with this crystal, if someone won't _tell_ me what I want..." She swung her staff around with one hand, aiming it at me again. "...I'll take it."

As if on cue, my body gave another involuntary spasm as another wave of phantom pain hit me. I tried to curl myself into an even tighter ball, my unblinking eyes locked on the glowing crystal pointed at me, a new flood of tears erupting from me.

It was only now that the Cyclonian generals put the pieces together. My presence, the state I was in, the odd crystal, their leader's sudden leap in battle coordination; all of it together formed a look of fear and horror on each of their faces, except for Dark Ace. Though he hid it well, I could see his features twist slightly as Master Cyclonis looked away from him. Was it my imagination, or did he almost look...disgusted?

When Cyclonis looked back at him, however, the look was gone.

The Cyclonian leader smirked. "I trust you now understand?"

Repton glowered at her, stepping back. Master Cyclonis turned around, facing her demonic- machine. Under his breath, Repton muttered, "Witch."

In a flash, Repton found the Mind-Absorption crystal an inch from his forehead. His eyes widened in shock as Cyclonis' narrowed, all traces of humor gone from her face. Her voice was emotionless as she spoke. "I suggest you watch your tongue, _Raptor, _unless you want to share the same fate of poor Piper over there." A smirk formed slowly. "Or maybe I should add Terra Bogaton to our list of targets?"

Rage burned in Repton's eyes, but he made no movement against her. "That won't be necessary." His voice was restrained, but honest.

Still smirking, Cyclonis once again turned her back to her generals. "Good. You all have your orders. All forces will take flight in two hours. Should you fail..." She let that hang in the air for a moment. "Dismissed."

All the generals moved to leave the chamber, some faster then others. All but one.

"Excuse me, your Highness..."

All the generals looked back at Dark Ace. The man (if you could call him that) had not moved.

Cyclonis was silent, unmoving.

Dark Ace continued. "Forgive me, but...what of Terra Atmosia?"

It was true; through all of Master Cyclonis' extensive coordination, there had been no mention of Terra Atmosia, arguably the most influential of all the Terras, and without a doubt, Cyclonia's largest threat.

Master Cyclonis didn't turn around. With her back still to her underlings, only I could see her face. Only I could see the determined look on her face as she spoke, her voice deathly serious. "I shall deal with Atmosia...myself."

Surprise and confusion danced in the eyes of the Cyclonian generals. Dark Ace, face impassive, bowed. "Understood, your majesty." Without another word, he walked out of the chamber, the other generals following suit.

Last out of the room, Repton slammed the chamber door behind him, sending a massive noise echoing of the walls. Once again I was alone with Master Cyclonis. Still crying, still trembling, I waited, for what I didn't know.

As silence enveloped the room, Master Cyclonis closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. Had I been in a better state, I would have been surprised at how...depressed she sounded. This was further enforced as I watched her features change, all emotion leave her, until only a look of sadness remained. Somehow, it still got through to me that, in a matter of seconds, the evil, tyrannical leader of Cyclonia had been replaced with a sad, lonely girl.

And it was this same girl that slowly turned towards me. That strange softness had returned to her eyes, mixed with a sadness I didn't understand. My half-formed thoughts were shattered, however, when she took a step towards me.

Instantly I cringed back, my eyes locking back on to the glowing pink orb. All I could think of was the pain. I couldn't go through that again. I couldn't take it again. My mind was already shattered. Another round with that crystal would destroy me.

Seeing my reaction, Cyclonis stopped. Her eyes followed mine, resting on her terrifying creation. Slowly she looked between me and the crystal, as if deciding something. Finally she closed her eyes. She released her grip on her staff, letting her hand slip away from it. By means beyond my understanding, the staff drifted to her hellish machine, seemingly of its own volition, and was grabbed by one of the machines spider-like appendages.

With the crystal out of her grasp, my fear turned to confusion when she took another hesitant step towards me. She held her hands out in front of her, palms up, like I was some sort of frightened animal she didn't want to startle. With despair I realized that that was exactly the case.

Cyclonis continued forward until she was directly over me. Some strange emotion consumed her features. Uncertainty?

Slowly she knelt down next to me. My confusion growing, I kept my eyes focused on her, waiting for her to say something.

Suddenly she reached a hand out to me. I flinched back out of reflex. I shut my eyes, ready for...what I don't know. Just for some kind of pain.

It was that much more surprising, then, when I felt a warm, tentative touch on my cheek.

My eyes flew open in shock and disbelief. Cyclonis stroked my cheek again with the back of her hand, slowly, as if she didn't even understand why she was doing this. Sadness hung over her like a cloak, and in her eyes was a pain that made no sense to me why it was there.

For a few minutes we stayed like that, the room silent exempt for the occasional whimper that escaped my mouth. To my amazement, I felt my trembling start to slow, my breathing start to steady. She was actually..._comforting_ me.

In the back of my mind, a part of me was screaming. _Why are you letting her do this? She nearly destroyed your mind! She's going to destroy your friends! Get up and do something!_

Right now your probably wondering why I wasn't acting on these thoughts. The answer's simple: I didn't want to. After the pain I had just gone through, the fear I had drowned in being surrounded by the most evil people in all of Atmos, I welcomed any form comfort I could get. Even if it came from the person who had caused the pain.

That's not to say I completely lost all form of reason. I'm not stupid; I still remembered what she's done, what she was capable of, what she might still do. It's just that...looking into her eyes...seeing that pain...that loneliness...I got the feeling that...not that she _wouldn't_ hurt me, but more like...like she didn't _want_ to. I guess the best way to put it would be; she didn't ease my pain. She eased my _trauma_.

The silence was broken when she spoke, her voice little more then a whisper.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

For the first time since..._that_...anger welled up inside me. She was _sorry_? After what she had done, after what she had put me through, she was _sorry? _That anger quickly burned out when the deep sadness of her voice registered with me.

So many thoughts went through my head. So many questions, so many things to say. But with the pain I had gone through still fresh in my mind, all I could muster was, "W-Why?" Why did you hurt me? Why are you comforting me? Why do you look so sad?

Apparently she she took my question to mean the first. "I had to...I needed the information...I had to get it...I had to..." It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of what she was saying rather then me.

This was couldn't be real. This was some kind of trick. There was no way how someone as evil and manipulative as Master Cyclonis could possibly be this...innocent. This was the same girl who had captured a dozen Terras; who had laid waste to countless more. This was the same girl who had tricked me into trusting her, into letting her onto the _Condor_. The same girl who had electrocuted me mere moments after revealing her true colors, who had tried to blast me into oblivion...

Tried and failed.

My eyes widened slowly as realization settled in. That day, from so early in my career as a Storm Hawk, was still clear in my mind. The feelings of fear and betrayal as Cyclonis aimed that Oblivion crystal at me. My surprise and confusion as the crystal's energy dissipate harmlessly around me. My sadness at realizing that it had not all been a ruse, that she had truly become my friend, and that she had tossed our friendship aside once she had accomplished what she wanted.

Was that it? Somewhere deep inside her, did our friendship still exist? But then why did she betray me in the first place? Why put me through the pain that she just had? Why...?

It was too much. I couldn't process this all right then. With some effort, I forced my thoughts down, letting my mind come back to reality. Master Cyclonis still siting next to me, her hand still running slowly across my cheek. I had uncurled out of my ball and was now just laying limply on the ground. I looked up into her eyes, forcing myself to ignore the illogical sadness in them. "What are you going to do with me?" My voice was little more then a whisper, but I somehow managed to put my usual tone of voice into the words.

Cyclonis quickly broke her gaze. "I...I don't know..."

A pang of anger coursed through me. Quickly I grabbed her hand. Her eyes went back to mine as I gently pushed her hand away. "What do you mean 'you don't know?'"

Cyclonis dropped her gaze to the floor, closing her eyes. "It wasn't suppose to be you," she whispered.

I pushed myself up with one arm, my head level with hers. "What?" I asked in incredulously.

She shook her head briefly, then the quickly stood up. She took a few steps forward, pressing her hands against her head as if it hurt. Her voice much louder, she shouted, "They weren't suppose to capture _you_!"

In a flash, anger consumed me. I tried to stand, but my legs refused to move, so instead I glared at the back of her head. "_Me_? What do you mean that they weren't suppose to captured _me_? You just ranted to your lapdogs how this was your whole plan!"

Cyclonis' hands balled into fists, squeezing tuts of her hair in the process. "Please stop," she murmured.

I ignored her. "Why would you make that up? Better yet, if you did make it up, why shouldn't they of captured me? I only know as much as the rest of my squad. You could have gotten the same information from Aerrow or Junko..."

Cyclonis' fists pushed deeper against her skull, her knuckles turning white from how hard she was balling her fists. "Be quiet..." she ordered, her voice restricted.

I was yelling now. "What makes me so special?"

Her staff broke free of the machines hold on it, flying back to it's master's hand. She whirled around, slamming the staff on the ground. "SHUT UP!" She shrieked, sending a storm of electricity into the air.

I was instantly struck dumb. Not by the terrifying show of power or the pink crystal that now glowed brightly. By her eyes. Wild and wide, like some animal backed into a corner, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. The distressed look on her face gave me the feeling that she was trying desperately not to break down and cry. I have the feeling that if given just a few moments longer, she would have.

For the second time, the chamber door burst open, revealing Dark Ace. "Your highness, are you okay? I thought I heard you yell."

Master Cyclonis quickly wiped her face with her sleeve, wiping away her tears. All the same, she kept her back to him as she spoke. "Just having some... issues with the prisoner." Though her words were cold and menacing, they didn't match up with the her expression as she kept her eyes locked on me.

Dark Ace walked forward. "What kind of issues?

Cyclonis barked out a laugh, which was bizarre as she had no smile. "She just hasn't learned how to speak to her new master. She still believes her comrades will rescue her."

I tried my best to keep my shock hidden. She knew I had given up that hope. She had literally ripped that piece of my despair from my mind herself. She was outright lying to the Dark Ace. Why?

Dark Ace walked up behind her. A smirk formed on his face. "Perhaps there is a way to remove that hope from her for good."

Cyclonis didn't turn to him, but her eyes shifted to the side, confused. "How so?"

"Well, your Highness, if it's rescue that she is hoping for, perhaps it would be best if she sees first hand what becomes of her would-be rescuers."

Master Cyclonis narrowed her eyes. "What are you suggesting?"

The traitorous ex-skyknight stared down at me as he spoke. His eyes were cold, so much so that he could have given a Blizzarian a chill. "Why don't you take poor..._Piper_ here..." He said my name as if it were some kind of derogative. "...and have her on the bridge when you commence your attack on Atmosia?"

Master Cyclonis seemed even more confused. "Why would I do that?" She seemed to be asking herself rather then Dark Ace.

Dark Ace smiled coldly. "So she can be there to watch Atmosia burn. So that she can see all possibility of Cyclonia's defeat go up in smoke. She'll be there to watch her world crumble, until all that is left is your empire."

I sat there listening to every word, horrified. Simply listening to how they would destroy the Skyknights was sickening enough, but to be forced to watch it happen? To watch my friends die right in front of me? Like Aerrow...

As Dark Ace spoke, Master Cyclonis slowly nodded her head. The strange softness that had been held in her eyes started to fade, being replaced with a cold, hard look, mirroring Dark Ace.

Dark Ace continued, slowly pacing behind Master Cyclonis. "And besides, she would never believe what we tell her. She'd be no use to us if she constantly believed she'd be rescued by her long dead friends. She'd have to see it for herself, else she'd be in denial all the time."

"Yes..." Master Cyclonis' voice was cold, so much so that it sounded...empty. She smirked down at me. "That's what I have to do. Then you'll..." She turned towards the entrance. "Ravess!"

The female general appeared in the door way in less then five seconds. She did a quick bow. "Your Highness?"

"Take Piper to be cleaned up. Then take her to the bridge of my flagship. Keep her under guard at all times."

Confused, but knowing better then to question her queen, Ravess bowed again. "Your Majesty," she acknowledged. She moved quickly to my side. She motioned to help me up, but I swatted aside her hand. Amazingly, I was able to keep my feet under me as she led me out of the chamber. Two Talons waited at the door.

Before leaving the chamber, I looked back at Cyclonis' our eyes locking. For a brief instant, I thought I saw the softness in her eyes return, her expression turn sad. But then she closed her eyes, and the coldness returned, the sadness replaced with a smirk, mirrored by the man behind her.

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**A/n: Please don't flame me! This is my first attempt at something like this, and if it sucks, I apologize. Constructive criticism is appreciated, so please read and review.**

**P.S. Sorry for the lame chapter title. It's all I could think of.**


	3. Chapter 3: Ambushed

**A/n: Special thanks to ClockwerkOrange and Celery Sticks, both for giving me a laugh and the will to write this.**

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**Chapter 3: Ambushed**

Three hours later found me on the bridge of Master Cyclonis' flagship, the _Tempest_. My jumpsuit had been replaced with a Cyclonian variant similar to Ravess', minus the armor. The other main difference was the blood red emblem of Cyclonia embossed across my chest. I felt sick to my stomach knowing that anyone who saw me would see that symbol first.

The last three hours had been the strangest time of my life. Taking a shower in the literal center of Cyclonian territory had been nerve wracking to say the least. I kept looking over my shoulder every few seconds, expecting...something. After that, Ravess replaced my shackles, then led me back outside to Master Cyclonis' flagship.

If you've never seen a Cyclonian flagship, consider yourself lucky. Picture the basic Cyclonian warship_, _except five times as big. Now, replace every curve of that warship with the jagged edges of armor plating. And spikes. _Lots_ of spikes.

Ravess left me on the _Tempest's_ bridge alone with two Talon guards. The bridge was designed so that Master Cyclonis sat on a balcony high above the rest of the bridge, so you had to look down at all of the Talons milling around the various control stations. Beside the queen's chair (or throne, if you want to be more accurate) were two plainer chairs, obviously meant for the ship's senior officers.

Hesitantly I sat down on the left-side seat, waiting for one of the Talons to yell at me and tell me where I was suppose to sit. To my surprise, neither of them batted an eye. They both seemed in too high of spirits to care where I sat. In fact, that seemed to be the general mood of the entire bridge. Everyone was happy, laughing with each other as they worked. Curious and confused, I listened to the general buzz that echoed around the room. Little snippets of conversation flouted up to me. Words of excitement and anticipation were said. Through all the chatter, though, one thing was constant: victory.

I'm ashamed to admit that I never really gave the Talons much thought. They were just a nuisance we had to deal with every now and then. After sneaking into a Talon training camp with Aerrow once, I knew how Cyclonia gained some of it's younger Talons, but the older ones I knew little about. Hearing them talk to each other about how they couldn't wait to go home to see their families, it gave me mixed feelings knowing that all their hopes depended on the fall of mine.

Suddenly all the chatter died instantly. Every single Talon stood and faced to where I was. I felt a chill run up my spine, guessing why they did so. Sure enough, Master Cyclonis appeared around the chairs, the hood of her cloak up. She gave me a brief look. I flinched back at her gaze. Her violet eyes were so unnaturally cold and emotionless that they were almost pure black. Slowly she turned to the Talons below her. In a strong, clear voice, she spoke:

"For five generations, Cyclonia has waged it's war for conquest against the rest of the Atmos. My ancestors dreamed of a world united under the flag of Cyclonia. A world with no conflict. A world of peace."

At that, my jaw dropped. _**Peace**__? What does Cyclonia know about peace?_

Cyclonis continued. "But before there can be peace, all conflict must be eliminated. To achieve that goal, Cyclonia was forced to take arms against the Atmos. It has been a long, hard road. Everyone in this empire has made sacrifices to archive our dream. But by the end of this day, the ends _will_ have justified the means. History will look back on this day as the day that Terra Cyclonia united the world under a single banner! Our banner!" She raised her staff over her head triumphantly. "Victory shall be ours!"

Cheers roared from the Talons below. Cyclonis smiled, and my astonishment increased. For the first time, I saw her with a genuine smile. Not a smirk, not a smug, humorous grin, but a true smile of pure happiness. She almost looked...normal. She would have, if it wasn't for the darkness in her eyes.

Cyclonis gave the order. "Set course for Terra Atmosia, 80% speed." At once the Talons moved back to their stations, working furiously to reach their destination. Only once her footsoliders were at work did Master Cyclonis take her place on her throne.

My mind stalled. How could my life have been turned so utterly upside down? Yesterday I was having lunch with my squad. Now I'm side-by-side with the Skyknights most hated enemy, listening to her give a motivational speech that contradicted everything that I had ever known about Cyclonia.

Though everything in me screamed for me not to, I had to ask. Hesitantly I turned to Cyclonis. The Cyclonian queen was staring straight ahead out the windows of the bridge as her behemoth of a ship soared out of the red skies of Cyclonia. Her smile had faded to just a small curve on the corner of her lips.

"Um..." My voice was little more then an awkward whisper and I didn't know if she had heard me.

A glance out the corner of her eye told me otherwise. "What?" Her voice was just as dark as her eyes, like I was intruding on her for speaking.

"Well...I...It's just..." The look in her eye was so cold it was making me stutter. I took a deep breath and tried again. "Did you really mean everything you just said?"

Though her face remained the same, her hand tightened around her staff. As the pink crystal on top started to glow, I leaned away, my eyes flickering between her face and the crystal.

"Never question my loyalty to my Terra. My family spent their entire lives to unite the Terras." She looked back to the front of the bridge. "And I will finish what they started."

"But...why...?"

"I am **not** going to discuss this right now." The finality of her voice silenced me. I looked down at my clasped hands. The metal cuffs were starting to dig into my skin. I tried to slide them down a bit to lessen the pressure, but they wouldn't budge.

I could feel Master Cyclonis watching me as I fiddled with the cuffs. She let out a small exasperated sigh. Out the corner of my eye I caught the movement as she gave her hand a small wave.

_Click_!

The cuffs clattered to the ground much to my amazement. Rubbing my sore wrists, I looked at her, confused.

Keeping her eyes forward, she warned, "I trust you to know what will happen should you attempt anything."

Eyes wide at the obvious threat, I slowly nodded my head. After that, I did my best to settle into my seat. Not an easy feat while being forcibly taken to watch your whole world crumble. I spent my time observing the Talons run around, working tirelessly to reach their destination. I had never been on a ship this large with a crew this size, so watching how such a ship worked fascinated me.

I was broken away from my thoughts, however, when a highly decorated Talon, possibly the captain, walked up to Master Cyclonis and bowed. "Your majesty, we are making good headway and shall reach Terra Atmosia within the next two hours."

"Very good. Ready all weapons and have all Talons prepare for flight."

"Yes ma'am. However..."

Cyclonis' eyes narrowed instantly, causing the weathered Talon to falter. "However what?" Her voice was much to calm.

The Talon swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing. "However, there is a slight fluctuation in the port-side engines. Nothing serious enough to effect the ships performance, but still worth mentioning."

Master Cyclonis' eyes seemed to darken even more, only the faintest hint of violet in her coal-black eyes. "I don't care how insignificant you believe it to be! I want this ship in perfect working order when we begin our attack on Atmosia. Get someone down there and find out whats causing it!"

The man cowered under her gaze. "Y-Yes your majesty. It will be done." The Talon left the bridge at a pace that could barely be considered walking. Master Cyclonis now seemed stressed, her hand gripping her staff so hard her knuckles were turning white. Lowering her eyes to the ground, she started muttering under her breath. "Can't go wrong...must succeed...have to..." She started to breath quickly and heavily, a slight trembling . To my shock, I realized she was in the starting stages of a panic attack.

My first thought was hope. If she went into a panic attack, she wouldn't be able to lead the ship. Then maybe Atmosia will be able to prepare for battle and have a fighting chance.

That thought was quickly ended, however, when saw the look on her face. The girl was desperately trying to hold it together, to the point that she almost seemed in pain. For some reason I felt a twinge of pain in my heart, though, for the life of me, I don't know why. I just...didn't like seeing her in this state.

_What's wrong with you?, _a part of me screamed. _Are you forgetting what she did to you, _why_ you're on this ship in the first place? Let her suffer! She deserves far worse. _

It was these same thoughts that continued to berate me as I cautiously reached a hand towards her closed fist. Tentatively I laid my hand over hers.

Cyclonis jumped a little at the contact, her head snapping towards me. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"Hey." I tries to keep my voice strong and steady as I spoke. "Are you okay?"

As her eyes drifted down to my hand over hers, I expected her either to get angry or laugh me off. What I did _not_ expect was for a red tint to quickly form in her cheeks. She quickly yanked her hand away, looking away from me. "I-I'm fine." Her voice seemed shaky. She gave her head a quick shake, as if trying to clear it.

Not convinced, I leaned forward a bit to see her face. My eyes widened.

What I saw lasted only for a split second, having happened so fast I thought I was seeing things. Cyclonis' eyes seemed to ...fluctuate, shifting from black to violet to..._pink?_

Before I could fully process what I..._thought_ I saw, Master Cyclonis slammed her eyes shut, her face twisting in discomfort. When she opened them, her eyes were once again dark and black, a smug look on her face.

Unsure if I should keep talking, but still curious, I asked her, "Are you sure?"

Master Cyclonis gave me an amused look out the corner of her eye. She chuckled. "Never better."

As she stared back out the front of the bridge, I felt a little hurt that she shrugged me off like that, but at the same time, I was relived that she wasn't shaking anymore. Then reality hit me as I realized that I had just helped the leader of Cyclonia. I might have just doomed the Atmos.

I let out a groan despite myself. _I'm to nice for my own good._

Master Cyclonis gave me a look out the corner of her eye at the sound. I did my best to ignore her. Then a thought came to me. "Hey, um..." Though I tried, my stomach churned at the though of calling her master. "Cyclonis? Could I ask you something?"

Her right eye twitched slightly before she spoke, most likely because I failed to use her title. She gave me a small smirk nonetheless. "I see know harm in doing so. What is it?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat before speaking. "Well, I was just wondering, what are you going to do next?"

Cyclonis raised an eyebrow, confused. "Excuse me?"

Despite myself, I let out a small sigh. "If you win today, you know, 'unite the world under a single banner,' what are you going to do next?"

Cyclonis just stared at me. "I..." A faint shimmer was in her eyes as she faced forward, her head down. "I...I was going...but he said..." She put a hand to her head. She was starting to ramble again, but she wasn't panicky like before. This time she just seemed...confused. "...but why..."

Afraid she might go over the edge again, (once again a part of me bombarded me with questions of 'why?') I was about say something when a voice shouted up from the bridge.

"Your Highness!" Yelled a Talon with a headset. "Priority communication from the engine room!"

Cyclonis snapped out of her trance. She stared down at the Talon with irritation. "Well, patch him through!"

"Yes ma'am!" The Talon turned back to a console, working furiously.

With a crackle, the panicky voice of the captain came over the bridge's speakers. "Master Cyclonis, we have a code red situation down here! We're working as fast as we can, but we don't-"

"Capitan, what are you rambling about?" Master Cyclonis cut him off angrily.

"Leech Crystals!" His voice was so loud and so scared that the entire bridge fell silent. "They're all over the engines!"

"What?" Master Cyclonis' eyes widened and she quickly stood up. "How did Leech crystals get on board?"

"We don't know, but they've been absorbing energy for hours. They're about to-"

The entire ship jerked violently to the right. Talons were thrown from their consoles halfway across the room. The sounds of protesting metal echoed from deep within the _Tempest_. The ship continued to shudder as smaller explosions rocked their way through twisted steel. Master Cyclonis was knocked off her feet and thrown back...

...landing in my lap.

Before this detail could really registered with either of us, Master Cyclonis shoved herself of of me and spun around. "Report!"

"We've lost contact with the engine room." One Talon rattled off what his console was telling him. "Port-side engine has been destroyed. Starboard engine operating at 68%." His voice got tighter the more he spoke. "Structural damage on decks six thru-"

A purple flash engulfed the bridge as the ship lurched forward, sending me flying out of my chair. I slammed into the balcony railing hard enough to knock the wind out of me. Master Cyclonis had the same happen to her, the two of us ending up side-by-side. Anger burned in her eyes as she yelled down to the bridge. "What was that? More Leech Crystals?"

Talons struggled to get back to their feet. One managed to get back to his console. "No ma'am. Radar's picking up something coming out of the clouds, directly ahead." As if to confirm it, another purple flash rocked the ship.

"Who the hell is it?" Cyclonis screamed as she pulled herself off the floor.

Before the Talon could speak, the entire bridge was draped in shadow. Looking out the front of the bridge, my heart stopped.

Blocking out the sun was a monstrosity of a ship. Long and skeletal, it's bridge towering over the rest of the ship. Massive cannons were primed along the sides. But what sent a chill up the spine of every person on the bridge was the huge, skull-like front of the ship.

_The_ _Blood Crow_.

"Murk Raiders..." The whisper of a voice made me jump. It was my own.

Master Cyclonis looked at me in disbelief. "Murk Raiders? But Terra Deep is on the other side of the Atmos! Why would Murk Raiders come here?"

Her question died as _The Blood Crow_ fired again, purple explosions bursting against the _Tempest's_ hull, cracking it. Master Cyclonis didn't hesitate as she started barking out orders. "Return fire! Launch Talon fighters!"

The Talons scrambled to follow her orders. However... "Over half of the port side cannons are inoperable!" After a moment the Talon looked up at us, eyes wide behind his goggles. "And the hanger doors are melted shut."

Master Cyclonis just stood there. Her eyes darted across the room, to the Talons, to _The Blood Crow, _and then, strangely, to me. You could just see the desperation in her eyes as she tried to formulate some kind of plan. The darkness in her eyes was starting to lessen, and as it did, her composure weakened. Suddenly her head shot up as something came to her.

"What's the nearest Terra?" She ordered from the Talons.

After a few seconds, one Talon looked up. "Terra Amazonia, twenty klicks out from our current position."

Cyclonis, stressed but focused, nodded. "Set a course. Reroute all power from the disabled systems to the remaining engines. Have every available cannon return fire. And send the medics down to the engine room." The Talons all stared up at their leader, stupefied by the rapid-fire orders. Master Cyclonis slammed her staff to the ground, erupting lightning. "Now!"

Talons scurried around the bridge as the _Tempest_ turned sharply. It gave a small jump as all the working engines fired as hard as they could, sending the massive ship limping away as fast as it could, the Murk Raider flagship hot on our heels.

As the _Tempest_ started firing its own red energy blasts, Cyclonis closed her eyes and put a hand to her head. She looked like she was about to cry. With no better ideas, I turned to her. "What are you going to do when we reach Amazonia?"

Opening her eyes, she gave me a long, hard look. Then she let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know. None of this makes sense. Why would Murk Raiders be this far from Terra Deep? And why would they attack us?" She turned to me again. That weird fluctuation appeared in her eyes again, flashing quickly between black, violet, and pink. The sudden color change seemed to effect her, as she quickly closed her eyes and gave her head a small shake. When she opened them her eyes were lighter, somewhere between black and violet.

I couldn't help it anymore. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

She seemed confused by my question. "What?"

"Your eyes. They just changed color."

The look she gave me was like I had just fallen out of the sky. "Excuse me?"

"Your eyes just..." I returned her confused stare as a thought came to me. "Didn't you feel that just now?"

She stared at me for a moment, then barked out a humorless laugh. "I'm a little stressed right now. I think I'm allowed to have a headache."

The tone of her voice made it clear she didn't want to talk anymore, but that didn't stop me from wondering. For what felt like an eternity _The Blood Crow_ and the _Tempest_ exchanged fire, the latter taking the most damage as the smaller scavenger's ship bobbed and weaved to avoid most of the fire. Then the luscious green forest of Terra Amazonia appeared in the distance. Seeing this, I turned back to Cyclonis. "What now?"

"Now..." She let out a shaky breath. "...we find somewhere to set down and evacuate the ship."

"What?" I asked her incredulously.

She gave me a look that was a ix of anger and desperation. "There's no way we can win this fight. Would you rather we turn around and crash into the Wastelands?"

I couldn't fault her logic. It was most likely the best thing to do, especially seeing how on the ground the _Tempest's_ crew outnumbered the Murk Raiders ten to one. In the same situation, I probably would have come up with the same plan.

Master Cyclonis began barking out orders for the crew to prepare for evacuation. Suddenly another Talon yelled up to us. "Your Highness, two more ships on radar, directly ahead!"

Before the Cyclonian queen could react, more purple flashes collided with the front of the _Tempest. _Cyclonis and I kept our grip on the railing, staying upright as the Talon guards up with us were thrown over the railing to the bridge below by the sudden lose of speed. Looking up, ice filled my veins as I beheld two Murk Raider warships, massive versions of _The Blood Crow_ built specifically for warfare.

The _Tempest_ came to a hovering stop, tilting to one side. Cyclonis was on the verge of hysterics. "This is impossible. There's no way they could have known we were heading here. None of this makes any sense."

I was about to reach over and try to calm her down, when a voice cried out from below.

"Master Cyclonis!"

Looking down, I saw a single Talon pointing up towards us. Turning around, I saw what he had seen. I wish I hadn't.

While the _Tempest_ had come to a complete stop, _The Blood Crow_ was still barreling towards us, the mouth of its horrific figure head wide open. And it was aimed for the bridge.

The ships collided in a storm of twisted metal and shattered glass. The world began to tilt as the _Tempest_ was pushed farther onto it's side. As _The Bloody Crow_ tore it's way through the bridge, I felt myself get thrown across the room. I slammed against the windows on the side of the bridge. As I tried to push myself up, something slammed into me with a yelp. To my shock, I saw it was Master Cyclonis. Our eyes locked for a moment before...

_Crack!_

Slowly looking down, we saw that the glass, the only thing separating us from the empty air below, was starting to crack. Our heads shoot up, looking into each others eyes. For the first time in my life, I saw something I thought could never exist in Master Cyclonis' eyes:

Fear.

Then, with a sickening crack, we fell.

Don't ask me how I did it, but somehow I managed to snag the ledge of the window frame. Thinking fast, I reached out and grabbed Cyclonis' hand. I was dimly aware of her staff falling past me, disappearing into the Amazonian jungle. The dark girl stared up at me in shock.

Have you ever tried to hold your own weight by your fingertips with one hand, while at the same time trying to hold onto another person with the other? It's near impossible, not helped by the fact that the ship kept shaking as _The Blood Crow_ ground to a stop, half it body buried into the Tempest.

Above me, I could hear as the Murk Raiders boarded the ship, yelling and hooting like they were having the time of their lives. Flashes of red and purple lit up the bridge above as the two sides fired on one another.

In pure desperation, I looked down to Cyclonis. "Can't you fly or something?"

"Not without my staff." Her voice was so filled with fear it sounded like a different person.

Before I could say more, I felt a shadow fall over me. Looking up, I almost let go.

Standing above us, a smirk on his scaly lips, was Captain Scabulous, leader of the Murk Raiders.

The scarred captain looked down at us, energy sword in hand. "Well, lass," He said to me. "Didn't expect to see you here."

Staring up at him, all I could manage to say was, "Why are you doing this?"

Scabulous let out a laugh. "It's nothin' personal, lass." He pressed a foot on my fingers, which were barely holding on. "It's just business!"

And with a single stomp, he sent both me and the Queen of Cyclonia hurtling towards the green earth of Terra Amazonia.

* * *

**A/n: Before anyone complains, I ask you to please bear with me. It will all make sense as the story goes on.**

**Remember, Reviews are what keeps this story going!**


	4. Chapter 4: Comfort

**Chapter Four: Comfort**

Darkness.

It felt like I was trapped in shadows. I heard small snippets of sound; explosions, screams, all muffled and far off. Then, silence.

Conciseness came back slowly. I don't even remember hitting the ground, just the massive ache that consumed my body as I started to wake up. Opening my eyes a bit, I was met with a pink glow. Instantly awake, I jumped back, scrambling as far away from the hellish light as I could.

I backed into something, stopping me going further. Looking up, I saw that it was one of the massive trees that made Terra Amazonia their home. Unable to back any further away, I forced my eyes back to Master Cyclonis demonic creation.

The staff stood impaled in the ground, less then three feet from where I had landed, the pink crystal on top glowing brightly in the increasing darkness. If I had fallen just a little bit more to the left...

I cringed at the thought, quickly looking away from the staff. However, that made my gaze fall on something put a different kind of fear in me:

Master Cyclonis.

The once proud ruler of Cyclonia now lay sprawled across the forest floor. Her sinister cape had been torn off, now dangling in the trees above, shredded by the branches. What truly made worry well up in me, however, was a long gash across her forehead, blood trickling down her face.

"Oh no."

I tried to stand up, but pain and lack of blood to my head made me fall forward. Shaking the wooziness from my mind, I got back up and knelt next to her.

I put two fingers to her neck and felt around. Relief washed over me as I felt her pulse, beating slow but strong. Gently I tapped the side of her face.

"Cyclonis?" No response. I tapped a little harder. "Time to wake up." Nothing. "C'mon honey, please wake up..."

_Honey?_

The word just slipped out, and I felt my cheeks grow hot when I realized what I said. I couldn't dwell on it, however, because Cyclonis started to stir.

Her eyes fluttered open, now back to their usual shade of violet. Confusion was in them as she focused on me. "Where...?" Then her eyes snapped shut. She let out a groan, grimacing in pain. "Oh, my head..." She put a hand to her head. Her eyes snapped open again in shock. Slowly she moved her hand in front of her. Seeing the redness of her own blood on it, her breathing quickened. "But...how...why...?"

Before she could go into a full panic attack, I put my own hand on her forehead. "Shhhhh..." I hushed her. "Calm down. You just hit your head." Reaching up, I pulled down a few strips of her ruined cloak. Wadding a few up, I carefully dabbed at the wound, wiping away the blood.

Cyclonis cringed at the contact. Feeling sorry for her, I gave her a small smile. "Sorry." To my relief, the wound wasn't that bad. It was pretty much just a long scratch from temple to temple.

As I worked at cleaning the wound, Cyclonis stared at me in what looked like a mix of confusion and shock.

"Why are you doing this?"

I jumped a bit at her voice. I hadn't realized how silent it had gotten until she spoke up. Pausing, I looked her in the eyes, her expression blank.

That was a really good question. Why was I helping her like this, and being so gentle and careful while I did?

All in all, only one thing really made sense. Giving her an awkward smile, I answered, "I like to help people. It's just who I am." Her wound clean, I took a long strip of cloth and gently wrapped it around her head. She made no move to stop me, instead just giving me an odd look as I worked. Once I had tied the makeshift bandage tightly together, I leaned back and looked her in the eyes.

Cyclonis was still giving me that odd look. After a few moments of awkward silence, I looked away and finally took a look at where we were, a narrow path through the vast forest around us. Pieces of twist metal lay all around us, the result of _The Blood Crow's_ insane attack. Looking up through the branches, all I could see was the empty evening sky.

_Wait...evening?_

No mistaking it. The sky painted a deep orange, slowly fading darkness of the approaching night sky. We'd been unconscious for hours. And if a rescue party hadn't come by now...they weren't coming at all.

With that happy thought in mind, I struggled to my feet. My head was still a little fuzzy, but better. Cyclonis looked up at me quizzically.

With a sigh, I offered her my hand. "C'mon, we should find some shelter for the night."

Cyclonis raised an eyebrow. Then she scoffed. "I'm not going anywhere."

I pulled my hand back. Now it was my turn to be confused. "What? Why?"

She looked at me like I was stupid. "My forces will be here any moment to pick us up. This will be the first place they look."

For a moment, I just stared at her, trying to figure out weather or not she was serious. "Um, Cyclonis? Maybe you didn't notice, but it's almost dark. We've been out for hours. The ships are long gone."

Cyclonis' smug expression faulted a bit as she looked to the quickly darkening sky. After a few seconds of silence, she looked back to me her smug smile lessened. "W-Well, once Dark Ace finds out what happened to the _Tempest_, he'll come and rescue me."

A pang of dread ran through me, as that was a possibility. The fact that she had said 'rescue _me_' instead of 'rescue _us_' was not lost to me either. However... "And how exactly is he going to know where _you_ are?"

She tilted her head to the side, confused. "What do you mean?"

I was quickly losing my patience. No one, not even Finn, could possibly be this naive. "Look, you went to all this trouble to steal my memories..." Saying that out loud sent a shiver down my spine, the memory still fresh in my mind. To my surprise, Cyclonis seemed to flinch a bit at my words, too. I ignored that and continued. "...so use them. What do Murk Raiders do with captured ships?"

Cyclonis fidgeted a bit. I don't think she was used to someone talking to her like she wasn't in charge. All the same, she looked up at me with an intelligent glint in her eye. "They rip out all the working and valuable components, steal anything of value from the crew, then take the ship back to Terra Deep, where they leave it impaled as a trophy."

I nodded, a little creeped out. That was exactly what I would have said. _Word for word._

I shook that thought off. "Okay. Now, what will they do with the crew?"

She smirked, like I was asking her the most basic of questions. "After taking their valuables, they'll either sell them back to they're home Terra to make a profit, or they'll keep...them...as..." Her eyes lowered and her voice slowed as realization sank in. "...slaves."

My heart felt heavy as she said finished. All those Talons, all those people, all counting on going home...

Once again, I shook off the thought. _Not the time. _

I took a step closer to Cyclonis, who's eyes seemed to be getting flatter, less lively. "Now, assuming that the Murk Raiders _don't_ keep the crew as slaves..." I took another step, now standing right in front of her, "...and that Cyclonia is willing to buy them back..." Cyclonis jerked her head up, her anger obvious, but she stayed quiet. I knelled down so that our eyes were level. "Assuming all that, how long would it take for the crew to tell Dark Ace we're on Amazonia?"

I could see her try to hold onto her anger, try keep hold of that smugness she always had. But as reality begin to set in, the anger in her eyes seemed to ebb away, leaving them looking empty and flat. After trying to hold my gaze, she lowered her head and spoke, her voice less then a whisper. "F...fou..." She took a reluctant breath. "...four days."

Looking at her then, I felt a pain in my heart. Cyclonis looked so...broken. There really are no other words to describe it. I felt so bad I was tempted to put a hand on her shoulder, tell her everything would be alright.

_Stop it,_ a part of my mind ordered. _This is Master Cyclonis, not some innocent little girl. Why are you even trying to convince her? If she wants to sit here and rot, let her! She wouldn't be doing this for you._

As I listened to my psyche berate me, I tried to think of what I should do. As a Skyknight, I had sworn to give help to those who needed it. At the same time, however, a Skyknight was suppose to fight against Cyclonia, "Every step of the way," as I'd heard so many say before. So what am I suppose to do when the _leader_ of Cyclonia needs my help?

Apparently Mother Nature decided to help me choose. A boom of thunder sounded in the distance. Looking up, I could see grey storm clouds rolling in over the faintly lit sky. Being stuck outside at night was bad enough. Out at night in a storm? Not going to happen.

I looked back at Cyclonis, who still had her eyes to the ground. Reaching out, I put a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up, I stared directly into her deep violet eyes. "Cyclonis, we need to find some kind of shelter before that storm hits." I gave her a small half-smile. "Unless you want to get caught in the rain?"

For a brief moment, I thought I saw the corner of her lip twitch. Then her eyes seemed to darken all at once, becoming pitch black, then switching back to violet in less then a second. Cyclonis looked away from me, shrugging my hand off her shoulder. "Fine." She said under her breath. She pushed herself to her feet. Once she was standing, however, she swayed a bit, then suddenly fell forward.

Thinking fast, I grabbed her before she hit the ground. I felt my face grow hot when I realized that the position we were in had her head pressing against my chest.

The same thought seemed to cross her mind, as she quickly pushed off of me, her pale cheeks a deep shade of red. Composing my self, I asked, "Are you okay?"

She didn't look at me. "I'm fine." She snapped. Then her voice softened. "Just a little light headed." She walked over to her staff and pulled it from the ground. Looking at me out the corner of her eye, she asked, "So where do we go?"

Not to sure about that myself, I looked around. In the growing darkness, I couldn't see very far through the mass of trees around us. That just left the option of following the path we had fallen into. Looking down the long opening of trees, It seemed like the forest thinned slightly further down.

I pointed that direction. "Let's try this way."

Cyclonis fallowed my arm. She gave me a scrutinizing frown. "Why should we go that way?"

Normally, I would get angry at someone asking something obviously just to anger me. But after everything I had suffered through today, I was too tired to argue. Instead, I let out a deep breath and gave her a sidelong look. "Do you have a better idea?" I inquired, keeping my voice as calm as possible.

Cyclonis glared at me briefly, before looking away, defeated. "No..." She mumbled.

Keeping my face expressionless, I looked on ahead. "Then lets get going."

Walking through the forest was pretty uneventful. The sun was completely gone, what ever light it might still have shown now blocked out my the sea of grey above us. The only source of light was from her staff, the pink crystal on top bathing us in a bright glow. It honestly was a nice way to cut through the gloom, covering everything around us for twenty feet in a bright pink light. Had it been coming from any other source, it might of helped calm me, but just being around that crystal made my skin crawl.

A bolt of lightning lit up the forest. A few seconds latter came a thunderous boom. The time between the two was getting shorter each time, so I knew we had to find shelter. Fast.

I glance back at Cyclonis, as I had been every few minutes. Though she seemed very composed on the outside, it was clear that she was on edge. Her eyes kept sweeping back and forth, searching for any sort of danger in the shadows. She had a death grip on her staff, like she was scared of what might happen if she let it out of her sight.

Looking back ahead, I thought I could see an opening in the trees ahead. A flash of lightning confirmed it. I called back to Cyclonis. "I think there's a clearing up ahead."

She didn't respond aloud, but gave me a sharp nod. She kept eying the sky warily, like she was daring it to defy her.

I couldn't help but chuckle. Cyclonis was just so out of her element. It was kind of cute.

Wait..._cute?_

I must be more tired then I thought.

We finally reached the edge of the forest. I was about to walk on through the clearing when another bolt lit up the sky. I jumped back upon seeing what was in front of us.

What I had thought was a clearing was actually a large lake. One more step and I would have fallen face first into the dark water.

Cyclonis stepped closer so we were side by side. "Now what?" Her snarky tone was ruined by the shade of uncertainty that shown through her words.

Not really having an answer for her, I stared off into the darkness, waiting for another flash of light. _Come on,_ I thought desperately. _Show me something._

The sky lit up, followed immediately by thunder. _Wait, was that...? _I wait a few seconds. Another flash. _Yeah, it is!_

A little ways down the lake shore was a large cliff-face, acting like a wall preventing you to walk around the lake. In the rocky landmark was the opening to a small cave. Admittedly, it shouldn't have been anything to get excited about, but after everything I had gone through over the course of just a single day, it might as well have been castle.

I point it out to Cyclonis. "There's some kind of cave over there."

Cyclonis gave me disdained look. "A cave?" She didn't sound angry, or even annoyed, just kind of...put off.

Annoyed, but trying to keep the piece, I flash her half-smile. "It's better then sleeping outside." I grimaced a bit at a memory. "Trust me."

She tilted her head to the side. "What do you...?" Then her eyes widened a bit. A soft gasp escaped her lips. She quickly shook her head, her eyes dropping to the ground. "Never mind..." she mumbled under her breath.

That was...odd. Before I could dwell on that, the sky was once again lit up. I looked back to her. "Let's get in there before..."

_Splash!_

"...that."

Why, of all the Terras, did it have to be Amazonia?

We broke into a run, bolting towards the cave. In a matter of seconds what started as a slight drizzle turned into complete downpour. By the time we were safely inside, we were both soaked.

There was nothing outstanding about the cave. It was fairly large, with the back wall a good fifty feet from the entrance.

Once inside, Cyclonis leaned up against the back of the cave, clutching her staff. Her entire body completely waterlogged, her cloths must have weighing an extra twenty pounds. I know it felt like mine did.

I turned away from her, back towards the entrance. Rain was coming down in sheets, the occasional lightning bolt engulfing the area. I took my head band off, my hair instantly falling to my shoulders in a sopping mess. I tried to brush some of the water out with my hand, but my soggy clothes made movement uncomfortable. When I put my arm down, it made a wet slapping sound against my side.

_Okay, this is just ridiculous. _

Without thinking, I griped the bottom of my shirt and pulled. When I'd pulled it up to my neck, I heard a gasp.

Cyclonis was staring at me, her face a deep shade of scarlet. "W-What a-are you d-doing?" she stammered.

I felt a bit of heat go to my own cheeks as well, though I'm not sue why. _We're both girls, so why does it matter?_ I pulled my shirt the rest of the way off and started wringing out the water. "I'd rather not sleep waterlogged," I explained. I groaned mentally. _What is the bad jokes? I'm turning __into Finn!_

Cyclonis quickly turned away, though I thought I could see her looking at me out the corner of her eye. There was really something odd about her. Y'know, other then all the odd stuff that came with being an evil tyrant. I noticed that she was shivering a little, rubbing her arms.

Feeling bad for her, I suggested, "Maybe you should wring out your clothes, too." I couldn't help but laugh at her baffled expression. "You're gonna catch a cold if you stay waterlogged all night."

After a moments hesitation, Cyclonis tentatively gripped the bottom of her shirt. She gave it a small tug, then stopped. She looked up at me nervously. With a chuckle and a shake of the head, I turned around, giving her her privacy. This was a side of Cyclonis I never imagined existed, much more timid and innocent then the girl that tried to zap me every time we'd met. It was kind of a nice change of pace.

After getting as much water out that I could, I unfurled my damp shirt. I grimaced as I was immediately greeted with the symbol of Cyclonia. With a quick movement, I flipped the shirt inside out and slipped it on. A little less comfortable, but better on my psyche then the alternative. My pants weren't near as soaked as my shirt had been, so I left them alone.

Behind me I could hear water hit the stone floor as Cyclonis wrung out her shirt. I had the sudden impulse to whirl around to her, an impulse I immediately fought down, wondering what the hell caused it.

When the splashing stopped and I heard Cyclonis grunt as she pulled on her shirt, I called behind me. "Safe to turn around now?"

A small "y-yes" was my only answer. I turned to her to see her siting cross legged against the wall, her staff laying across her lap. A small blush was still in her cheeks. I was tempted to ask her about it when a massive yawn welled up inside me. This must have been the longest day of my entire life, just one wrong turn after another. I was ready for it to end, even if it had to be on the floor of a cave with the queen of Cyclonia.

That came out wrong. I seriously need some sleep.

I said so to Cyclonis. She simply nodded and laid down where she was, facing the wall and laying her staff in front of her. I found a spot on the other side of the cave and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible. After a few minutes, weariness overcame uncomfortableness, and I slowly sank into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

A whimper.

That's what shook me from my dreams. Somehow a single small whimper managed to pull me back to the waking world.

Looking around, I was greeted by darkness. Through hazy eyes I looked out the cave entrance. The storm was down to a steady rain shower, forming a constant soothing thrum in the background.

Another sound made me look to the back of the cave. The pink crystal atop Cyclonis' staff was glowing faintly. What I saw in it's light broke my heart.

Cyclonis was laying on her back, her arms twitching at her sides. Her head was swing side to side, small sobs escaping her lips at every movement. Her body was trembling, not from cold, but from something worse. Tears slid silently down her cheeks from closed eyes.

Feeling a sharp pain inside me, I slowly got to my feet, fighting off my exhaustion. I knelt next to her. I put a hand to her shoulder, shaking her lightly. My intention was to wake her up and ask what was wrong/ "Cyclonis? Wake up..."

Instead of waking, Cyclonis suddenly turned on her side, her arm draping around me. On contact with me, Cyclonis leaned forward in her sleep, putting more weight against me. The sudden movement caught me by surprise and I fell to my side next to her. She wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed closer to me.

I froze,one of my arms pinned while I held the other in the air. I didn't know what to make out of this. It didn't fell real. Then Cyclonis buried her head in my chest, still asleep, still sobbing. I could feel her tears soaking through my shirt.

That did it. All my confusion melted away then. This wasn't Cyclonis anymore, at least, no the on I had always seen her as. This was a scared girl in need of comfort. And I was the only one who could give it.

Tentatively, I wrapped my arms around her, aware of the burning sensation in my face. My hands seemed to move on there own, one rubbing small circles on her back while the other cradled the back of her head. Cyclonis pressed herself even closer, almost like she was trying to hide in my arms. I rested my chin on the top of her head and tried to comfort her. "It's alright, honey. Your okay..."

Minutes passed. Eventually her sobs subsided, along with the trembling. Her breathing started to even out, but her hold didn't lessen. If anything, she held onto me even tighter, not wanting to let me go. And oddly enough...I was okay with that. As much as I knew how wrong this was, especially given who she was, holding her in my arms, it felt strangely...right.

How did my life get so screwed up over the course of a single day? I survived a Cyclonia trap, a mental attack, and a Murk Raider raid, not to mention going into the literal heart of Cyclonia and coming out unharmed, (at least physically) and now...well, there was no other way to put it; I was cuddling with Master Cyclonis, while she was asleep.

A soft sigh from the girl in my arms silence my thoughts. These questions could be answered in the morning. Right now, I was going to enjoy this, however weird it might be.

As I drifted of to sleep, listening to the sounds of Cyclonis breathing and of the rain softly coming down outside, I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

**A/n: Please be kind. This is my first time ever writing anything along these lines. Pretty much just a bunch of...fluff, is that the word?**

**On another note, I worked really hard to get this chapter out this week. Why? It's my birthday! ...or at least, Monday was...yeah, I'm a little late. Whatever, A birthday review would be best present I could ask for.**

**Y'know, other then the rights to Storm Hawks. Then I could make this canon!**

**...**

**Yeah, probably best I don't get that. XD**


	5. Chapter 5: Volunteer

**Chapter 5: Volunteer**

Awareness came slowly as I worked to pull my mind from the depths of sleep. I could feel the warmth of the morning sun on my back, shining in from the cave entrance. On instinct, I tried to stretch my arms, only to find right arm pinned. Then I noticed the sense of warmth pressed against me.

Still half asleep, my eyes shoot wide open. I could feel hair under my chin. Leaning back a bit, I was greeted with the sleeping face of Master Cyclonis.

The memories of the previous night came back to me. The sounds of her sobs still echoed in my mind. My arms tightened around her unconsciously. What could have caused her so much pain, so much sorrow, that she couldn't escape it even in her dreams?

Cyclonis shifted a little in her sleep, pressing her head in the crook of my neck. I felt my cheeks redden, but a smile crept across my face all the same. It was just such an innocent little gesture that I couldn't help but smile. Pressing back against her, I laid my chin on her head again.

My thoughts went to the day before. I realized I had never really known Master Cyclonis as a person, just as this malicious force that was working against us. I thought briefly of the short time I had known her as Lark. Lark had been so full of energy, the kind of person that you couldn't help but smile around.

At least, that's what it had seemed like to me.

But now I knew the truth. Lark had been a complete lie, right down to her personality. Over the last day, I learned of the real Cyclonis, the girl behind the crown. And that girl... was confusing.

Master Cyclonis seemed to be a contradiction to herself. When she was around her forces, she was everything I had imagined she was: dark, forceful, extremely intelligent. She may have been using my skills, but there was no mistaking the dark genius at work as she prepared her forces for battle.

That part I had expected. What made no sense to me was how she acted when I was the only one with her. When I was first brought to her, she had acted almost sad that I had been captured. She had even given me the chance to avoid the pain of her crystal. And on the _Tempest_, when I tried to calm her down, she blushed and her eyes... that weird color fluctuation... Come to think of it, every time I'd touched her she seemed to blush, even when I was bandaging her head. Then there was last night, when I wrung out my shirt. She had gotten so nervous and timid, stumbling over her words. It was almost like...

I froze.

No. No. No, no, nonononono. That... that couldn't be it. I mean... that doesn't... she couldn't... she's not... is she...?

My thoughts were silenced as Cyclonis let out a small groan. She tried to lift her head, pressing it against my chin.

I felt the form in my arms stiffen.

Very slowly, I leaned my head back. I tilted my head down at the same moment she tilted her head up, her expression completely blank. Our eyes locked.

Everything was silent. As the seconds ticked away, Cyclonis' face turned redder and redder. I could feel mine do the same. I couldn't read the emotion in her eyes, but whatever it was, it was strong.

"Piper," I was surprised by how calm and even her voice was, "What are you doing?"

I felt my blush deepen. I moved my free arm to my side. "You... were having a nightmare. I tried to wake you up and you kind of...latched on."

"Oh," was all she said. I could feel her heart beating faster against my chest, making mine speed up in turn. Her voice a bit quieter, she asked, "Could... you let go of me?"

I tilted my head ever so slightly to the side, confusion breaking through my strange calm. "Um... I already did."

Now Cyclonis' blush deepened, her heart quickening suddenly. She seemed to just now notice how tightly she was holding me. I could feel her start to tremble, and her eyes fluctuated again, only this time, there was no black. Her eyes turned pink for just a moment and then switched back to violet. She tried to speak, but all she did was stutter. "I-I... you... I..." She started breathing in short, choppy breaths.

Before she could go into another panic attack, I somehow found the will to put a hand on her cheek. Her skin was scalding. "Cyclonis, breathe."

After a brief moment of shock at my touch, Cyclonis took a deep breath. Her eyes were still wide open, an emotion that I could almost make out in them. Was that... fear?

After taking a few deep breaths, I felt Cyclonis' heart slow down. I let my arm slide down to my side as Cyclonis released her grip on my waist. An awkward silence settled in, neither of us really knowing what to say. Finally, I decided to give her some space. "Um, Cyclonis? Could you get off my arm?"

Cyclonis quickly scrambled into a sitting position, her cheeks so red I was starting to wonder how much blood was actually going to the rest of her body. She moved so quickly that it was almost jarring. I pushed myself to my feet, trying to get the blood back to my arm. "Um, I'm gonna go... look around."

Cyclonis gave a small nod, suddenly finding the cave floor very interesting.

My mind was so frazzled that I didn't really register my surroundings until I was all the way outside the cave. When I did, I stopped dead.

Beautiful. That's the only way to describe the world I found myself in. The sky was clear, save for a few puffy clouds left over from last nights storm. From it the morning sun shined down onto the lush greenery, small patches of bright, striking flowers spread out across the ankle-high grass, morning dew causing it to sparkle like millions of tiny crystals. The water of the lake, which I now saw was really more of a very large pond, was so clear and clean that I could actually see the fish swimming around.

To me, it was a picture of beauty. One small piece of perfection untainted by the war.

My first thought was to call back into the cave to show amazing sight to Cyclonis. The words died in my throat, however, as thinking of her brought my previous thoughts to the front of my mind.

_Could it really be possible?_ I walked absentmindedly at the waters edge, mulling over my thoughts. _The nervousness, the blushing, the stuttering..._

My mind drifted to something that had happened a few months ago on Terra Rex. Harrier had sent for help after his team had been beaten by Snipe. Badly. Seriously, for all their hype, have they ever actually _won_ a fight? Anyways, while there, Finn had kind of fallen for the female member of the Rex Guardians. Except, instead of hitting on her like he usually did to _every_ women he saw, this time he had actually had a genuine attraction for her. Like he was really willing to have an actual relationship. It was one of the few times we had actually had a serious conversation, him coming to me for advice.

The reason this comes to my mind right now is how he had acted around her. Blushing at every kind word she said to him, always stumbling over his words; it was just so... un-Finn. Naturally, Finn's usual luck with women eventually kicked in. When he had finally gotten up the nerve to ask her out, she told him she already had a boyfriend. He moped around the Condor for about a week before getting back to his usual hot-shot self.

And all I could think was how much Cyclonis was acting like Finn was back then. Except... she was acting that way... around _me._

_But... but that can't be it. I mean, she's a girl. _I'm_ a girl. She couldn't be... but everything points..._

I let out a loud groan. _This is just too much. I-I need a drink._

I knelled down at the waters edge, cupping some water in my hands. When I dipped my head to drink, my hair fell down like a curtain around me, absently reminding me that I left my headband back in the cave.

My thirst quenched, I stared into the water at my own reflection. I looked nothing like I had just a few days before. A different jumpsuit, Storm Hawk blue replaced with Cyclonian purple. My hair hanging off my shoulders instead of in its usual unique style. There was still a bit of red in my cheeks, something I had never seen in my reflection.

A small movement caught my eye. Looking up, I saw it was nothing but a small school of fish swimming past. I was about to look away when I spotted something. Deeper in the water, at least twenty feet down, was a large object. It looked strangely familiar. Squinting to look through the darker water, my eyes widened as I recognized the shape. It was a skimmer. They widened further upon seeing a familiar symbol on it's body. The paint was chipped and faded, but there was no mistaking it.

It was a Talon Switchblade.

_How did that get all the way out here? _I wondered silently. My first thought was that it might have fallen out of the _Tempest_, but the paint was too faded for that. Then I had a thought. I felt a brief surge of hope.

I looked up, searching the horizon. Sure enough, way off in the distance, was a large series of cliffs. One in particular, if I looked really hard, had severed cables dangling from it.

My heart started beating faster as the gears started turning. It was a long shot, but if I was right, we might have a way off Amazonia.

But if I was right, I was going to need help.

I went back to the cave and peeked in the entrance. Cyclonis was right where I'd left her, her arms wrapped around her legs. Her staff lay at her side, crystal glowing faintly. She seemed to be deep in thought.

"Hey, um, Cyclonis?" She looked up, slightly startled. I stepped a bit closer. "I think I might know a way to get out of here. I might need some help, though. Wanna take a walk?"

Cyclonis was silent, eyes flicking from me to the ground and back. Then she took a deep breath. "Sure," she answered, her voice small but clear.

I started walking out of the cave as Cyclonis got to her feet. Once outside, I heard a gasp behind me.

Cyclonis stood frozen, her eyes wide. Her mouth was opened a bit in a look of pure shock. Her eyes slowly scanned the landscape. I looked at her, confused. Then I saw the moisture in the corner of her eyes.

"Cyclonis?" She didn't respond. I walked until I was right in front of her. "Cyclonis. Are you okay?" I put a hand on her shoulder.

She blinked, like she just noticed me. "What?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I said, are you alright?"

Her eyes dropped to the ground. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Y-Yeah, uh, I'm-I'm fine..."

She wasn't fooling me. "Something's wrong. What is it?"

She glanced up at me, then back to the ground. She sighed defeatedly. "It's just... there's no where like this on Cyclonia." She seemed almost... embarrassed. "I've never seen something so... _pure_."

My eyes widened a bit, sympathy welling up in me. I gave a small smile. "C'mon," I said, nodding my head to the side. "Let's walk."

We walked in silence for a while, back down the path we had come up the night before. Looking back, the small cliff that the cave was under stood high above the trees, so finding our way back wouldn't be a problem. I was more focused on Cyclonis. Every now and then, I would catch her staring at blooming flower or watching a bird fly across the sky. Anyone else wouldn't have given such things a second glance, but the way Cyclonis analyzed them, with a look of almost awe. It was almost like it was her fist time seeing such things.

"_I've never seen something so... pure."_

I felt a small pain in my chest. _That's right,_ I thought sadly. _She probably hasn't seen anything like this before. _

It was kind of hard to wrap my head around. I thought about Terra Cyclonia. Red skies, covered in storm clouds. The atmosphere of the place was so suffocating, I could barely stand being there. I couldn't imagine actually living there. And Cyclonis had been there practically all her life. It made me feel...

_Stop it! She's the enemy. Cyclonia is that way because of _her_ war. Don't forget what she did to you, what she would have done if not for the Murk Raiders. Don't let her..._

"So what exactly are we looking for?"

Cyclonis' voice jarred me from my thoughts. She was walking right along side me, head cocked to the side, curiosity etched on her face.

It took a moment to remember. "Last year," I explained to her, "We-my team-spotted a group of Talons here on Amazonia. Long story short, it ended with in a fight that left most of the Talon's without their skimmers. I saw one of them at the bottom of that lake."

"I suppose that left you feeling mighty proud of yourselves."

I had been half expecting some sort of reaction from her, but it surprised me how little venom her words held. She sounded less angry and more... sad.

I ignored her words as I continued. "Most of the skimmers either exploded in the air or crashed in a pill of scrap. But I remember one that was left mostly undamaged, and we might be able to use it to get out of here. It was..."

"...Ravess'."

I stopped walking and looked at her, speechless. The logical explanation was that Ravess had reported her failure to Master Cyclonis. But the way she had spoken and the far away look in her eye told me there was something else to it. "How did you know that?"

Cyclonis froze. Her wide eyes told me she hadn't meant to speak. I think the look in my eyes told her I wouldn't let up on the subject unless she told me. She glanced behind her, back towards the cave... or rather, what was inside it.

Her eyes stayed to the ground as she spoke. "You remember how I said, when I was perfecting the Mental-Absorption crystal, I tested it on Talons?" The reluctance in her voice surprised me, but I nodded my head. She gave me a quick glance, and started rubbing her arm. "Well, when I first started testing, the crystal left the Talons... damaged."

I flinched. I remembered the pain that crystal caused. That was the _perfected_ version. To think what an unstable, _untested_ version could do...

Cyclonis continued, her voice strangely tight. "The first three were sent to a local hospital, in the hope that one day I might find for them... treatment." She started walking again at a slow pace. I followed. "When I sent for a fourth, Ravess burst into my chamber. She was livid. She had gotten angry with my orders before, but a show of force usually shut her up. But this time... was different." Cyclonis made eye contact with me, a strange mix of sadness and amusement in her violet eyes. "She punched me."

I stopped dead. "What?"

Cyclonis let out a small chuckle, before looking back at the ground, walking forward again. "I was working with my crystals at the time. I was so engrossed I didn't notice it was her at first. She didn't say a word. She just marched across the chamber and whirled me around. Next thing I knew, I was on the ground, my right eye on fire."

I walked in shocked silence as she continued. "I was so shocked that I didn't react, just stared up at her in bewilderment. Ravess started yelling, with more passion then I had thought she had. She had yelled at me before, of course, usually to tell me how stupid a plan of mine was, or to say how someone as young as I didn't deserve to run a Terra. But now... her eyes were so filled with anger that... that..." She glanced at me quickly, as if unsure she should continue. She took a deep breath. "She scared me."

I almost stopped walking again. Cyclonis _afraid_ of Ravess? Of _Ravess? _All I could muster to say was, "Why was she yelling at you?"

Another small chuckle. "It was the Talons. Apparently she caught wind of what had happened to the three I'd hospitalized. I... hadn't realized how patriotic she is."

"What do you mean?"

"That's what she was so angry about. That I had used my own soldiers, men who had entrusted their own lives for my cause, as fodder for my experiments. She ranted about how poor of a leader I was; that not only would I use my own men for such 'atrocities,' as she put it, but that I would continue to do so, knowing what would happen to them."

Fully engrossed in the story, I asked, "What did you do?"

Cyclonis stopped rubbing her arm. She let out another sigh. "Once she had stopped to take a breath, I got to my feet and got right in her face. I told her, 'this crystal will be the key to winning the war! I need to perfect it, no matter the cost.' She told me that she wouldn't allow me to hurt more of my own people to create the crystal. I scoffed at her, asked her who I would use to test it then."

I felt a chill as I started putting the pieces together. "She volunteered."

Cyclonis nodded, and to my surprise, a small smile on her lips. "It was the first time I had ever been truly surprised. Oh, I didn't see the punch coming, but I always figured I would push someone too far one day, though I always figured it would be Repton. But, no, I... I never expected Ravess to do something so... selfless."

_You and me both._

"So, with her help, I eventually fixed all the flaws with the crystal. But... it took a while."

"How long?"

She shook her head slightly. "Every day for almost two weeks. I can still hear her..." Cyclonis shuddered. "Anyway, the crystal was completed, and, using it, I was even able to repair the minds of those three Talons. After that... well... you know."

I shuddered myself. Yeah, I knew. All the same, I felt newfound respect for the female general, willing to go through that to spare her men from such torment.

_Respect? For a Cyclonian? Get your head on straight. Focus!_

I ignored those thoughts. "That's quite an impressive story, but how does that explain how you knew I was talking about Ravess' skimmer?"

Cyclonis rolled her eyes. She gave me an annoyed look. "I thought you were the smart one?" Her usual smugness returned, though less extreme. Surprisingly, I was a little glad some of the Cyclonis I had known was shining through. Cyclonis explained. "For two weeks, I experimented using Ravess' mind. In that time, I absorbed almost all of her memories, including those from the fight you mentioned."

I was taken aback. "Really?"

She smiled again, this time a bit wider. "Yes, really." She paused for a moment. "Did Finn really try to knowingly fire a Leech Crystal?"

I snorted. "Yeah. He tends to pay more attention to what he's shooting _at_, rather then what he's shooting."

I heard a small sound, almost like a squeak. Looking to the side, I saw the strange smile on Cyclonis' face. She had bitten back a laugh. The complete absurdity of the Queen of Cyclonia laughing caused a quick giggle to escape my lips. Cyclonis' smile widened more, another, louder laugh coming from her. This happened twice more before we both cracked up, the forest filling with our laughter.

While I laughed, though, my mind was focusing more on Cyclonis. Her laugh was high and clear, like chimes ringing in the wind. It was mesmerizing. Her smile was wide and broad, the product of pure happiness. She looked so... cute.

Eventually our laughter died down. As Cyclonis' broad grin faded to a small smile, I was aware of her eyes shimmering once again, from violet to pink and back again. I had to figure out why that kept happening.

"So," I started after a few moments of silence. "If you have Ravess' memories, do you think you might be able to find that lost skimmer?"

Cyclonis chuckled. Then she pointed ahead.

I followed her hand, and my eyes widened. I looked back. The cliff that held the cave was just a small dot in the distance. We had gone farther then I'd thought. She had been leading us through the forest, even while telling her story.

Looking back ahead, I felt hope well up inside me, stronger then before. For up ahead, covered in ivy, with its purple paint chipped, was the undamaged form of a Talon Switchblade Elite.

* * *

**A/n: Sorry if this seems like a weird place to cut off, but I think it works.**

**As always, reviews are requested to keep this story moving forward. Should anyone spot any errors of any kind in this chapter (You know how you are ;), do not hesitate to tell me, and I will gladly fix my mistakes.**

**'Till next time.**

**P.S Anyone who can tell me which episode the fight on Amazonia is in will get a shout out.**


	6. Chapter 6: Salvage

**Chapter 6: Salvage**

I was right when thought I would need Cyclonis' help. After pulling off all the fauna that had grown around the Switchblade, we found a thin layer of purple powder caked on the outside hull. We didn't grasp it's significance until we tried to turn the Switchblade on. The Firebolt crystal that powered it were completely dry. The powder was the remains the leech crystal that had caused Ravess to crash over a year ago. The crystal shards that had remained must have continued to absorb the bike's power, exploding over and over again until the Firebolt crystal was completely drained.

What had only been a thirty minute walk there turned into a laborious two hours as we pushed the dead Switchblade back to the lake. When we finally got to the mouth of the cave, we both collapsed against bike, exhausted.

"Well," Cyclonis gasped. "That was _fun_."

I gave a weak chuckle. "Yeah, loads."

As we tried to catch our breath, I looked up to the sky. The sun hung almost directly overhead, signaling that it was about noon. A few puffy clouds floated in the distance, but for the most part, the sky was a never ending sea of blue.

To my side, I heard a soft groan. Cyclonis slowly rubbed her arm, most likely trying to get the feeling back. "What's wrong?" I asked anyway.

Cyclonis gave me half-hearted glare. Then she looked away. "Nothing. Just sore is all."

I was about to press the issue, mostly just to bug her a bit, (hey, we _are_ on the opposite ends of a war, after all) when I noticed that her eyes were only half open. Cyclonis shook her head a bit like she was trying to stay awake.

"Hey," I said softly. She turned her head back to me, forcing her eyes to stay open. "Are you feeling alright?"

She turned straight ahead, looking over the surface of the lake before answering. "Yeah, I'm... I'm fine." The quietness of her voice said otherwise. "I'm just a... just a bit tired. I think I'm... gonna..." Her eyes slid shut, and her breathing became slow and heavy.

I looked at her in slight disbelief. She had actually fallen asleep. The trek back to the cave was tiring, but it wasn't _that_ bad.

After a few minutes of silence, letting my tired muscles cool down, I decided that I'd better see exactly how beat up the Switchblade was.

The damage wasn't too bad, but bad enough to elicit a groan from me. The outside hull was dented practically beyond repair, most likely from tumbling end over end across the landscape. As slowly and gently as I could, so not to wake Cyclonis (again, a part of me wondered why I cared), I pulled the lever to slowly unfurl the bike's wings. To my despair, the left top wing were bent to the inside. If we tried to fly it like that, the Switchblade would spin out of control.

The thing that worried me the most, however, were the bikes jet engines. On the outside, the seemed okay, but this meant nothing. If there was damage, it would be on the inside. The only way to know if there was would be to fire up the Switchblade.

I let out a sigh. I'd been putting this off, because I was honestly dreading that I was right. I opened the hatch that stored the crystal that powered the bike. I reached in and pulled it out. Seeing it, I sighed defeatedly.

The Firebolt crystal was completely drained. So little of it's original ruby color remained that it might as well have been pitch black.

Hold the dead crystal in my hands, I slid down the side of the Switchblade, once again resting beside the sleeping Cyclonis. _This is bad, _I thought to myself. _I can straighten out a dented wing, but without a a crystal to power it, we'll never get off the ground._

Subconsciously, I looked over at Cyclonis. The girls was still asleep, her head resting against the Switchblade. The strip of cloth was still tied around her head, most likely unneeded at this point. The corners of her mouth were curved up in a tiny smile, which for some reason made me smile.

_Will... You... Snap... Out of it! _Once again, something in the back of my mind started screaming at me. _This is Master Cyclonis! Remember? That girl who wants every Terra under her foot? _

While these thoughts berated my, my eyes drifted to her staff, which laid beside her. The orb-like crystal atop it shimmered prettily in the sun, betraying it's dark power. I thought briefly on whether it could be used to power the Switchblade. I quietly laughed off the thought. I didn't know how exactly it worked, but I could tell just from looking at it that there were little to no similarities between a Firebolt Crystal and the Mental-Absorption Crystal. On the slim chance that it would even fit into the engine, it would probably make poor bike explode.

I let out angry groan, letting the dead crystal slip though my fingers. _Now what? No crystal, no power. No power, no leaving the Terra. All that leaves is... _The mental image of Dark Ace and a squadron of Talons landing beside the lake made me shutter. Though logic told me the chances of that happening were slim, just the thought of it made my blood run cold.

_But then, what? _I picked up the drained Firebolt crystal and started turning it in my hands. I gazed down at the blackened stone, frustrated. _It's not like we're going to find another Firebolt crystal just lying a..._

My head shot up. My eyes focused on the crystal clear water of the lake.

_...around._

That was it. The sunken Switchblade. After a year underwater, the bike itself was useless, but maybe, just maybe, the crystal inside it still held some power.

It was a long shot.

It was our only shot.

Getting up from the bike, I walked to the waters edge. The Switchblade was still there, laying on it's side at the bottom of the lake. Even though it was rusted, I could still tell the differences between between the Elite Switchblade we had found and common Talon variant that lay at the bottom of the lake. It was bulkier then the more streamlined Elite, though Ravess' abandoned ride was noticeably bigger in size. Like every Switchblade, it was built with only armor and firepower in mind, not leaving much room for speed and maneuverability.

I looked over the lake, trying to get an idea of what I was dealing with. Though the landscape went straight from grass to water, the lake bed was all sand. Directly in front of me was a large portion of a sandy lake floor that was only about three feet deep, maybe four. Past that was a straight drop to the deepest part of the lake, which looked to be about eighteen, maybe twenty feet deep. It was that deep part that the Switchblade rested. It would only be a simple dive to reach the bike and look for the crystal.

That, however, left one small issue: I really didn't want to deal with waterlogged clothes again.

I know it sounds stupid, but the thought of working on the Switchblade with twenty pounds of waterlogged clothing weighing me down,made the idea of diving into the lake very unappealing. Logically, that left one course of action.

However, logic didn't take into account the girl napping against the Cyclonian skimmer. The girl that I was starting to have some very... _odd_ suspicions about.

I knelt down next to the Cyclonian queen. "Hey, Cyclonis," I said in a harsh whisper. I snapped my fingers in front of her face. "Hey, hello!" I waved my hand in front of her.

The girl didn't stir.

_Out cold. _I looked back at the lake. I sighed._ Well, it doesn't look like she'll be getting up anytime soon. So... I guess I'm good..._

Griping the collar of my shirt, I pulled it off. Then I quickly slipped out of the maroon colored pants I was wearing. I folded them both up and set them down beside the Switchblade. That just left...

I gave a quick glance at Cyclonis. Still asleep. A deep blush settled in as I removed my... underclothes... and draped them over bikes handle bars.

That was that. Every part of me laid bare for the world to see. I made a quick dash to the waters edge. Tentatively, I dipped my toes in the water. To my relief, the water wasn't ice cold like I had feared it was. Taking a deep breath, I dived in.

Sweet relief! The moment I was submerged, I could just feel my body relax as the cool water soothed my aching muscles. I drifted underwater, relaxed, until my lungs begged for air. I straightened myself until my feet felt sand, my head breaking the waters surface.

Where I was standing, the water came to just below my shoulders. Looking back towards shore, I could see Cyclonis still sleeping against the bike.

_Right, the bike! _I mental kicked myself. Once in the water, I had almost forgotten why I had dived in in the first place.

Slowly, I half-walked, half-swam to the drop off. Looking down into the water, I could see the rusted Switchblade, down at the deepest point in the lake. I let out a sigh. Then I took as deep a breath as I could and plunged downward.

Not many people know this about me, but I love the water. Something about how different the world is just below the surface has always fascinated me. Swimming was actually a past time of mine before I started training with Aerrow to be a Skyknight, so I felt right at home in the clear water.

However, this was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. The water was so clear that it was almost like looking though air. I could see all the to every corner of the lake. Fish of every shape and color swam everywhere. I thought absently whether I might be able to catch a few for dinner.

I eventually reached the bottom. Up close, I could see that the year underwater had really taken it's toll on the Switchblade. Every corner or crevice of the bike was covered with rust. What little paint was left chipped all over, though somehow the symbol of Cyclonia still showed proudly on it's side. I had to stop looking it over, though, because I could feel my chest start to tighten, telling me I'd need air soon.

Luckily, the bike lay on it's right side, allowing me easy access to hatch that held the (hopefully) charged crystal. I swam to the hatch, wrapping a hand around it's handle. I pulled.

Nothing happen.

A cold feeling started to worm it's way into my stomach. I pulled again. Still nothing. I got my face closer to hatch. I fought down the urge to release an underwater gasp.

The hatch was rusted shut.

My stomach tightened with worry as I pulled hard on the hatch. In desperation, I placed my foot on the side of the bike, using all my strength, desperately trying to make the hatch move.

It didn't budge. What's worse? I was out of air.

No one truly grasps how hard it is to do anything underwater. If you do anything strenuous, you want to take a breath. Which makes it that much more frightening when your body is begging for you to do so, despite what you know what will happen if you do.

What took me about a minute to go down took me less then ten to get up. When my head broke the surface, I started gasping, my chest actually hurting due to just how badly my lungs needed air.

Once I had my breathing was back to normal, I took another breath and dived. I gripped the hatch's handle with both hands, braced my foot against the bike and pulled.

_Come on, come on, come on, come on!_

Nothing.

I swam back up, my lungs out of air and my mind out of ideas. I slammed my arm into the water out of frustration, sending up a small bit of mist. Realizing that I would _really_ get nowhere with a hot head, I angled myself in the water, floating on my back. As the suns rays beat down on my tired body, I tried to make my mind relax, but to no avail.

_I need that crystal. It's our... _my_ one chance to get off this Terra. _I felt a cold chill as I thought off what might happen if we couldn't get the Switchblade Elite back in working order.

_Would Cyclonia buy back the Tempest's crew? For that matter, who Scabulous make the deal with?; Cyclonis is here with me! Dark Ace, probably. But would he buy back the crew? He doesn't usually take failure well, and you can't fail much worse then losing the ruler of you whole empire. But maybe that's why he would buy them back, to find out where she is, if she's alive. If he does that, then..._

I felt like I'd swallowed a Blizzard Crystal as the mental image of Dark Ace swooping out of the sky with a squad of Talons formulated in my mind. I let out a deep sigh, calming myself.

_One more time._

Once again, I dived down to the bike. Once again, I wrapped my hands around the hatch's handle. I put both feet firmly against the Switchblade. I took a moment to focus. Then, with everything I had, I pulled.

For thirty seconds, I pulled on the hatch, waiting, _begging_, to feel something give. Nothing happened, but I kept pulling, prepared to pull until every ounce of air had left my body. I needed this crystal. If I couldn't get it, I...

Suddenly, I found myself tumbling through the water, fighting the urge to gasp in shock. Once I'd righted myself, I looked around to see what had happened. My heart nearly stopped from shock.

I hadn't just opened the hatch; I'd ripped it right of it's rusted hinges. I swam up to the detached hatch, starring at it dubiously as it settled in the sand. I must have stared at it for at least ten seconds, just wondering how the heck I did it, when I noticed a purple glow shining across the sandy bottom.

Peering into the open hatch, I had to fight not to let out a sigh of relief. There sat a perfect Firebolt Crystal, glowing just as brightly as the day it was put there. I reached in and pulled it out, thankfully without problem.

My heart soaring, I started swimming back to shore, the crystal held tightly in my hand. Just to see if I could, I tried to stay underwater and keep my breath all the way to shore. My lungs thought differently, however, and with only thirty feet left to go, I was forced to surface.

This close to shore, I was able to stand up, so I did so. Curious, I held up the Firebolt Crystal to the sun, searching for any cracks or imperfections I might have missed. To my delight, it seemed to be in perfect condition. I was about to turn to walk to shore when a chill ran up my spine. A strange feeling tickled the back of my mind. It almost felt like I was...

My heart skipped a beat.

...being watched.

I turned to my side, looking towards shore. There sat Cyclonis, still leaning against the Switchblade Elite, fully awake. Her face was a deep shade of red, her mouth hanging open a bit. Her eyes were wide as saucers, but they weren't focused on mine. They were focused a little lower. I followed her gaze, then felt my face heat up.

Where I was standing, the water was only about waist deep. And Cyclonis wasn't _just_ starring at me. She was starring at my...

A loud "eep!" escaped me as I quickly sunk into the water, my arms folded tightly over my chest. I turned my back to her, my face feeling like I'd stepped in the way of the _Condor's_ engines.

_She was starring at me,_ I thought, my mind trying to bounce back from the shock. _ She was actually staring me... at my... _Though I thought it impossible, my face heated up even more.

I wanted to turn around and... and what? Get angry? Confront her? Try to laugh it off? What was the right thing to do?

So I just sat there in the water, my mind moving both at the speed of light as slow as a slug. I wanted to just melt away into the water as a new feeling made my heart hammer. Anger? No. Embarrassment? Yes, but not as much as I'd expected I'd be in such a situation. Maybe...

"Piper?"

My head shot straight up as I heard her voice. Out of everything considered, the last thing I expected was for her to speak up.

I cautiously turned my head to the side, looking behind me. Cyclonis had gotten to her feet and, to my surprise, she had my clothes, _all_ of my clothes, in her arms. Her face was still extremely red, though a little lighter then before. When my eye locked with hers, she quickly looked away, her eyes falling to the ground. She swallowed before speaking.

"I-I'm sorry." Her voice was very quiet, almost too low for me to hear. As she spoke, her eyes fluctuated again, flashing between pink and violet several times, before a shake of her head had them settle on the latter, though, was it just me, or were they a lighter shade? "I-I didn't mean to... to stare."

This completely floored me. This could not be Master Cyclonis. There was no way that this shy, timid, _apologetic_ girl was the same person who ruled over Terras with an iron fist. Then her words really registered. _She's sorry for starring? So she really was starring at my... _Once again, my blush deepened.

Somehow I found my voice. "It's... It's okay." _**OKAY? **_a part of me screamed. I ignored it. "You just surprised me."

Cyclonis let out a small "oh..." An awkward silence settled in. I don't know how long we might have stayed there, staring at each other, but I started to realize how cold the water was when your not moving.

"Um... Cyclonis?" I asked awkwardly. "Could you... turn around?"

"Oh! Oh, yeah, yeah. Sorry." The Cyclonian queen seemed a bit flustered as she made to turn around.

My heart hammered wildly as I waded to shore and pulled myself out of the water. Once I was out, though, I realized a dilemma: I was standing completely naked behind Cyclonis. And she still had my clothes.

I was about to ask her for them when I had a thought. And before I could ask myself where it came from, I had already walked right up behind her. I reached around her and grabbed the piece of clothing on top of the stack. Cyclonis stiffened at the close proximity, a fresh blush replacing the one that had started to fade. I repeated this three more times, her getting redder and redder each time.

Once I was fully clothed, I tapped her on the shoulder. "You can turn around now." She did, her eyes still focused on the ground. However, when I saw her face up close, I giggled.

Her head shot up, surprised and a little offended. "What?"

I stifled my laughter, then put a finger to my upper lip, just below my nose. "You've got something right here."

Surprised, she mimicked my moment. Pulling her hand from her face, her skin darkened as she saw the red spot of blood that had dribbled from her nose.

I chuckled again as she wiped it away, embarrassment plain on her face. Once again, we stared at each other in silence before she spoke again. "So... any particular reason you decided to take a swim?"

I smiled at her. I held up the Firebolt Crystal I had struggled to get, still in my hand. "Just getting our ticket off this rock."

Cyclonis' eyes widened in shock. "How...?" Her eyes moved behind me, to the lake. She looked back at me in amazement. "You dived all the way down there?"

I couldn't help but smirk at her. "I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?"

She smiled at me, then her looks turned worried. "Do you think it'll work?"

I looked between her, the crystal, the bike, and then back to her. I gave her a sly smile. "Only one way to find out."

Together we walked to the Switchblade. I climbed onto the seat, aware of how different it was from my Heli-scooter. I opened up the hatch on top and placed in the crystal. Crossing my fingers, I hit the ignition.

The bike roared to life, and I felt my spirits soar!

...that is, until the whole bike shuttered, and the jets of the engine started spiting out black smoke.

"Oh, man."

* * *

"mmm-er"

My eyes shot open at once. The darkness of the cave played tricks on my eyes, before they adjusted. I looked around, before seeing Cyclonis, once again in the throes of a nightmare.

I let out a sigh as I sat up, consciousness coming back to me, along with the memories of the past day. The Switchblade's engine was in bad shape, but luckily I'd found some of Ravess' tools in a compartment on the side of the bike. Using a few tricks I had picked up, the bike was a little better, but it would take a few more before were would be getting of the ground. After cooking and eating a few fish I'd managed to catch, we'd tried to fall asleep on the hard cave floor.

And once again, I found myself beside Cyclonis as she whimpered in her sleep tears rolling down her cheeks.

I was about to wake her up, when the memory of the previous night came back to me. How soft her hair was. How she had cuddled up to me. How she's held me tight.

_Stop it. Stop it! That was just a fluke. An accident. She didn't know what she was doing. Don't..._

These thoughts were quickly silenced as I laid down carefully next to her. I placed a hand on her shoulder. Instantly, she rolled onto her side and wrapped her arms around me, just like before. I put my hand on the back of her head as she buried it in my neck. Before long, her crying ceased.

As I tried to drift back to sleep, the warmth of her body comforting me, my mind started to wander. I thought about my earlier suspicions. About whether I might be right, or was maybe seeing things that weren't there. I let out a sigh as I felt my mind start to drift off. Then a thought crossed my mind.

_If I am right, and she actually likes me... like that... what am I going to do about it?_

That was a thought that my tired mind couldn't comprehend. Once again, I tried to fall asleep, listing to the soft breathing of the girl next to me letting it soothe me. I was almost asleep when I heard her say something.

"mmmm...pi...per...mmmm"

That did it. As my eyes started to slide shut, I had one last thought before I drifted into the darkness.

_Tomorrow... I'll get the truth._

* * *

**A/n: This chapter... I don't know. It seems a bit rushed, at least at the end. I don't know. Let me know what you think!**

**Once again, if anyone feels the need to point out any errors, please do and they will be fixed.**


	7. Chapter 7: Dreams

** A/n: Real quick: I would like to address why Cyclonis might seem to be a bit out of character in this story. Please bare in mind, she is WAAAY out of her element. Not to mention that the only person she's with is the same person she...well, you'll find out. Anyway, once they get off Amazonia, she'll probably start acting like her normal self again... kinda.**

**On with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Dreams**

_I woke up slowly. My skin felt numb against the cold metal ground._

_Wait... metal?_

_My eyes shot open. My breath caught as I looked around in shock and amazement. _

_I was back on the bridge of the _Condor_. _

_For a moment, elation consumed me. I was so happy, I actually ran up and hugged the Stork's control panel. Then, I actually took a good look at it._

_All the different gauges were dead. Speed, energy levels, everything; all were at zero. To top it off, the Time Pulse wasn't spinning. Seeing that, I quickly looked out the window. _

_It was nighttime, the sky a endless sea of stars. I could clearly see clouds drifting past underneath the _Condor_. Despite what controls told me, the ship was moving._

_Now I was getting freaked out. "Aerrow?" I called into the dark passageways of the ship. My only answer was the echo of my own voice. "Stork?" I ran to the crews quarters, poking my head through each door. "Junko?" In desperation, I ran down to the hanger. "Finn? Radarr?" I looked around wildly, my eyes starting to tear up. "Anybody?" I asked in a small voice._

_Nothing. No lights. No Skimmers. No people. The ship was empty._

_And I was alone._

"_No." I sunk to my knees, wrapping my arms around myself. "No," I said again. I could feel tears start to slide down my face. The Condor suddenly didn't feel like home. I couldn't hear Finn mumbling under his breath as he worked on his Air Skimmer. I couldn't hear Stork humming to himself as he worked on the bridge. I couldn't hear Aerrow's battle cries as he trained. Junko's laughter. Radarr's chattering. _

_All of it, gone. In their place, silence. Without them, the ship felt cold, lifeless._

_I don't know how long I stayed there, hunched over in the middle of the empty hanger, tears flowing freely. Suddenly, I felt a light shine across my face._

_I opened my eyes in surprise. Moonlight shown through the open hanger doors. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that, framed against the full moon, there was a figure on the deck, leaning on the railing._

_I stood up, my arms still wrapped around me, tears still falling. My eyesight blurry, I couldn't make out who it was. I started walking slowly forward. For the life of me, no matter how much closer I got to the figure, it stayed blurry. Then, when I was just a few feet away, she turned to me. My vision became crystal clear. My breath hitched._

_Rather then her usual royal attire, she wore a deep violet dress, a single strap going over her right shoulder. Her skin seemed to glow in the moonlight. Her eyes..._

_Her eyes._

_They weren't their usual violet color, cunning and intimidating. They weren't the cold and threatening black that they'd turned before_._ They were pink, like the early morning sky. In them I saw things I never would have imagined from her: Compassion. Kindness. Happiness. Even..._

_She gave me a small smile. "Piper..." Her voice was soft, kind._

_I stared at her in awe. "Why...? How...? Where are my friends?" I finally stuttered out._

_She chuckled, then took a step forward. "Away."_

_Cautiously, I took a step back. "Away where?"_

_She took another step, and I stepped back in turn. "Just... away."_

_As she continued forward, I continued back. "But... how are you...?... how did we...?... why would they...?" My mind was moving just as fast as I was speaking, though having just as much success at making sense of this._

_Suddenly, when I tried to take another step, I felt my back press up against the _Condor's_ hull, stopping me. As I looked around wildly in surprise, she closed the distance between us._

"_Piper?" She cupped my chin in her hand and made me look at her, her touch feather light. We were nose to nose. _

_This close, her eyes took up most of my vision. Looking in them, I felt something well up in my chest._

"_Piper... for once in your life... could you stop thinking... and just go with it?"_

_She closed her eyes. She leaned in and..._

* * *

My eyes shot open, a sharp gasp escaping me. Sunlight bombarded me as I looked around the cave.

The cave.

I was still in the cave.

I'd been dreaming. I struggled to recall the quickly fading memory of what I'd experienced in my sleep.

_I...I...the _Condor_! That's right, I was on the _Condor_. But... something wasn't right. I was alone. I was scared. And then I saw..._

My eyes widened in shock.

_Oh God. I dreamed that I... that she... why would I do that?_

A small movement against my neck reminded me that said girl was still wrapped in my arms. Cyclonis shifted in her sleep, tightening her grip on me ever so slightly. Feeling that, I did my best to try and relax, and just wait for her to wake up.

As I lay there, the memory of my dream continued to replay itself in my mind. But the more I thought about it, the less sense it made. _Why would I dream of an empty Condor? Why would I have Cyclonis be there. Why would she...? _A deep blush came over me as that last thought hit me. Then another part registered with me. When she'd leaned in, I'd felt something in my chest. Though I tried, I couldn't deny what I'd felt. Which left one major question:

_Why did I like it?_

What was wrong with me? A normal girl wouldn't put up with all this. A normal girl wouldn't sleep with her greatest enemy in her arms. And a normal girl _definitely_ would not get pleasure from the thought of... of _kissing_ another girl.

_Oh God. I actually thought that._

My thoughts were silenced (thankfully) when I heard Cyclonis let out a sleepy groan. She attempted to lift her head, only to be stopped by mine being in the way. Just like yesterday, I felt her stiffen as she realized her position. When she looked up, I could see the bit off embarrassment as our eyes locked, a fresh tint of red in her cheeks.

She gave me a tiny smile. "I guess I had another nightmare?" I was surprised by how lighthearted her voice was, given all that had happened yesterday.

I just smiled back and nodded. "Yeah. Sorry."

Though her face reddened more, her grin widened a bit. "It's okay. I'm just... not use to waking up next to someone."

I gave a small smile back. " Yeah. Me neither."

Before the inevitable awkward silence could settle in, I unwrapped my arms from her and gave her a tiny push on the shoulder. Her smile lessened a bit, but she released her arms all the same. As she pulled away, I instantly missed the lost warmth. Ignoring that, I sat up, stretching my arms. Though I'll admit it felt nice sleeping next to Cyclonis, the rock floor of the cave was killing my back. Judging from the way Cyclonis arched her back when she sat up, she felt the same.

"So," she yawned. "What do we do today?"

I let out a tired sigh. "Try to get that Switchblade moving."

She cocked an eyebrow, giving me an odd look. "That thing was spitting out a lot of smoke. You really think we can fix it?"

For some reason, that question hit me the same way I felt when one of the guys questioned a plan of mine. So, I reacted like I would then: I gave her a smirk and said, "I _know_ we can fix it.

* * *

"I can't fix it."

Let me say this right off the bat: I hate Cyclonian engineering. Whether it's a Skimmer, a battleship, or just a weapon, they all are built with only one thing in mind: power. How much damage can it take? How much can it dish out? How hard can you push the engine? That's all the thinking that goes into the design. Speed, maneuverability, accuracy, heck, even _safety_; none of it seems to even be considered by Cyclonian designers when building their war machines. If I had to guess, I'd bet that Talon Switchblades were only built to last one battle.

Ravess' ride was no exception. Apparently, the "Elite" in Switchblade Elite means that it can survive two battles instead of one. Though, from the looks of it, Ravess tried to make the bike last as long as possible. All over the Switchblade were marks of repairs, like welding marks on the chassis, and points on the chipped paint showing she had repainted it.

That same care, however, did not translate to the engine. Once I'd fully opened the thing up and saw all the grease and grime on it, not helped by the vast amount of spider eggs and wasp nests hanging off of it, I felt my hopes take a nose dive.

After working on it for about four hours straight, all the while spitting out language that a young lady, let alone a Skyknight, should never use, I slammed the side of the bike down. I walked over to the lakeside, letting out a loud groan as sat down. I dipped my hands into the water, scrubbing at them furiously to get the grim off.

Hearing me groan, Cyclonis got up from the tree she'd been dozing under and walked over to me.

"Not good?" She assumed aloud.

"Nope." I sighed defeatedly. "For the life of me, I just can't figure out how to make it work with those broken parts."

Cyclonis was silent for a moment. Then, she had a thought. "Hey, maybe we can salvage some parts off that sunken Switchblade, like you did with the crystal.

I gave a sad chuckle. "Two problems with your plan. One: That water is twenty feet deep, and some of the parts I need are pretty heavy. Not a good combo." Cyclonis let out a groan and hung her head, like she was thinking, _Why didn't I realize that?_ I let out another small laugh before continuing. "And, Two: Water, air, and metal don't mix well. Even if we managed to get the parts to the surface, once they hit air, they'd turn into a solid hunk of rust in minutes."

After a while, Cyclonis let out a sad sigh. "I'm not helping much, am I?"

Hearing the dejected sadness in her voice, I let out I sigh of my own. "At least you're coming up with ideas. I got nothing."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Cyclonis looked over at me. "Your arm still hurting?"

Shortly after opening up the bike, I managed to brush my hand against a wasp nest. A bright red welt near my wrist told what happened. What that didn't show, however, was the vast swarm of angry insects that came billowing out of the Switchblade shortly after. Before I could get engulfed in them, Cyclonis let lose a web of purple lightning, frying the wasps. I was a bit more careful after that.

I gave her a smile, meeting her eyes. "Yeah, but it's getting better. Thanks for that by the way."

At my thanks, I note a small bit of red enter her cheeks as she quickly broke her gaze, looking out over the water. "No problem."

_There it is again. That blush. _The memory of my thoughts last night came back to me. I let out a mental sigh. _Okay. I need to know... if only to whether or not I should be worried about this. But I have to be careful how I go about this. Maybe... yeah, that should work._

"Hey, Cyclonis?" I ask, my eyes still focused on my still dirty hands. Darn grease didn't want to give up.

"Hmm?" She said, looking back at me.

"You mind if I ask you a question?"

Her eyes turned a bit wary, though not untrusting. More... uncertain. She shrugged. "I guess not."

I nodded, turning back to my hands. After a moment, I said, "You and Dark Ace are pretty close."

Her brow raised, surprised by my statement. "Yes. He's my best general, and would put his life on the line for me if need be."

I nodded slowly. _Okay, let's go a little deeper. _"So... are you two... you know... together?"

Cyclonis' eyes squinted in confusion, then widened in shock. "You mean... oh, no! Nonono! We're not... we... no."

I struggled not to laugh at her flustered outburst. I had to try harder when her face turned crimson, mortified.

"So... I take it your not a couple?"

"No," Cyclonis stated, trying to regain her composure. She was failing. "No, we are not. I do trust him above the rest of my forces, and I trust him with my life, but we've never been... intimate." Her features then turned sad as she stared at the ground. "In fact... as a person, he's quite... cold."

While that didn't surprise me, I felt a small pang of sympathy for her; the person she trusted most was as cold to her as, well, I'd _assumed_ she was to everyone else.

Now I was entering dangerous territory. At least... dangerous to me. "Well, is there someone your intimate with?"

Now she was staring at me like I was crazy. "What do you...?"

Though my heart was hammering away in my chest, I looked at her with a calm face. "You know, someone you have special feelings for." I looked back down to my hands. The grease was gone, but I kept washing anyway. "Like a close friend, or maybe..." I glanced at her out the corner of my eye, gauging her reaction. "...a crush?"

Cyclonis very suddenly turned away from me. Though I pretended not to notice, from the corner of my eye I could see a vast array of emotions pass over her. Shock, worry, fear, yet at the same time, I could see a small glimmer in her eye. It almost looked like hope.

At this point, I could feel my suspicions start to cement themselves, but I need to hear it. I needed to her her say it. As my heart hammered away, I waited.

Finally, she let out a sigh. "There is... someone." Her voice was very soft, almost reluctant.

I kept scrubbing. My hands were staring to hurt, but I didn't care. Actually, I just don't think I noticed. "Really? Anyone I know?"

Violet eyes flicked at me nervously before she spoke again. "I'm... fairly certain you do."

I nodded. "Anything particular reason you like this person?"

Her eyes flicked toward me again, but this time, she kept a steady gaze out the corner of her eye. "We share some of the same interests."

"Like?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, just... little stuff." Apparently, she decided to get brave, because she gave me a long sidelong stare as she said, "Like crystals."

I glanced back at her, and her gaze fell back to the ground. Her face was a deep shade of pink. Not red, but getting there. "Anything else?"

Cyclonis started fiddling with her hands, her fingers twisting together. "Well... this person... is nice... caring... very strong... especially considering... what I've put her through..."

My heart went from hammering away to a dead stop. _Her? Did she just say... her?_

Cyclonis seemed to realize her slip up too, because she suddenly took in a sharp breath of air. Her eyes widened; the color drained from her face. She looked over at me, and the emotion in her eyes was clear as day: fear.

I couldn't keep it up. Though I didn't want to, seeing the fear in her eyes, I just couldn't keep beating around the bush. I stopped wring my hands, instantly feeling how sore they were. I ignored the pain as I looked Cyclonis right in the eyes. By some miracle, my voice stayed calm. "Cyclonis... do you have... feelings... for me?"

Her eyes seemed to grow wider, Her breath hitched; by all accounts, she looked terrified. And yet, as I stared into those deep violet eyes, waiting for an answer. I watched as her fear slowly dripped away. In a voice so quiet it was a wonder that I heard her, she spoke.

"Yes."

* * *

**A/n: A bit of a short chapter, but I'm proud of it!**

**And be honest; how many of you were waiting to hear her say that?**

**R&R, please!**


	8. Chapter 8: Go With It

**A/n: Sorry for the technical difficulties. I hope it works this time. **

**Chapter: 8: Go With It**

"_Yes_"

She said yes.

She said yes.

Oh God, she said yes.

This was about all my mind could take. I tried to comprehend what was going on, but I couldn't. My brain just stopped.

So, I did the natural thing.

I fainted.

* * *

Go ahead, laugh. I know how stupid it is. I already knew what she was going to say, so why would it shock me like that?

The best I can figure, Even though I knew what she was going to say, I didn't really believe it, and when she actually said that word, my mind couldn't comprehend that Cyclonis, the Queen of Cyclonia, actually was… attracted to me.

That, or I'm just a wuss.

Either way, as I started to drift back into consciousness, I could feel the hard surface of the cave floor on my back. As I opened my eyes, I was greeted with the sight of Cyclonis hovering over me.

When I opened my eyes, she jumped back surprised. As I sat up, a part of me wondered just how long she'd been leaning over me.

"Um," I started, feeling my cheeks start to heat up. "Did I…?"

She gave a small, and surprisingly, almost playful smile. "Yes."

I felt my face darken more as the obvious next question escaped my lips. "Then, you really said…?"

Cyclonis' gaze dropped down to her hands, which she started wringing together nervously. "Y-Yes, I-I did." She looked up and met my eyes. "I... have feelings for you, Piper." Her face turned pink as she added, "Strong feelings."

_That_ sent my heart thundering. "You... I... you feel...I mean..." I tried to form a sentence, but I couldn't. "How?" I finally settled on.

Her eyes dropped back down nervously. "It's... kind of complicated."

Though still a bit stunned, I felt the need to reassure her that...well, I'm not sure exactly what yet. I reached out a put a hand on her shoulder, dipping my head down to meet her eyes. "We've got time." She looked back up in disbelief. "If... you want to talk about it... I'll listen."

She stared at me for a few moments, I guess deliberating on whether or not she should tell me about her... feelings. Finally, she took a deep breath. "W-Well... I guess it all started about a year ago... with Lark."

I had to fight down the urge to interrupt her. _She's felt this way for a whole year? Even though...? _Every hurtful thing I'd ever said to her over the course of the last year came back to me, regret starting to seep in.

She continued. "I'm don't know why, but... the time we spent together on the _Condor_... I just... I've never felt so happy. Not even the memories of my grandmother made me as happy as those few days with you. And then... after... you know..."

How could I forget? Almost getting sucked into oblivion is a feeling that lingers with you.

"After I returned to Cyclonia, I just... things just seemed... dimmer. I started to realize just how cold my tower was, and how distant everyone was. And every now and then, out of no where, you would just... pop into my mind. Your smile, your laugh, the way you would banter with your friends; it was just so unlike anything I'd ever experienced. And as I worked with my crystals, I started to realize... I missed you."

A thought came to me, almost like I was trying to find a way to disprove what she said. "Are you sure you weren't just missing me like you would a lost friend, and not like..." My cheeks warmed as I struggled to find the right words. "...something more?"

She blushed a bit too, but shook her head. "No. I've lost people before. My father, my grandmother; I miss them both deeply. But when I start to miss them, it's like I'm missing a piece of my past. But, when I started miss you... for some reason... it was stronger... like... almost like... a part of me was missing. And you... you were that part."

I... I was dumbstruck. For the life of me I didn't no what to say. What could I say? What do you say to someone who just poured their heart out to you like that?

She waited for me to respond. When I didn't she let out a sad sigh. "You don't believe me, do you?"

Hearing the honest sadness in her voice caused my chest to hurt. I let out a deep sigh. "I... I don't know what to believe. I mean, I'd like to believe you... " My blush deepened as I said the next words, surprised to realise they were true. "... I even think I _want_ to believe you, but..." I deliberated for a moment, before finally saying, "... but you _are_ Master Cyclonis. I can't just forget that."

I could just _feel_ the hurt in her as she looked at me. But the way that she slowly looked away from me, head hung low, I could tell she knew I was right. That didn't make the feeling in my chest lessen any, though.

We sat in silence for who knows how long. I wasn't brave enough to turn and look at her, but that didn't stop me from peeking at her out the corner of my eye. What I saw was a lost girl, with no idea of what to do. I could relate.

Suddenly her head dipped up, her eyes wide. She reached to her side, grasping her staff. She held it in front of her for a moment, gazing into the pink orb on top. I started to feel uneasy, images of what she might be thinking of dancing on the edge of my imagination. A sudden _click!_ made me give her my full attention.

Cyclonis sat her staff down, still staring at the crystal that now lay in her hand. The gem glowed faintly, sending small streaks of light across her face.

I gazed at her in a mix of fear and curiosity, my eyes darting from her face to the crystal. "What are you planning on doing with that?" I asked her, the shakiness in my voice plain.

She looked over at me. Seeing what must have been the fear in my eyes, she looked back down at the crystal, a troubled expression on her lips. "I... I was just thinking. If you can't believe what I can tell you..." She looked back to me, soft violet eyes staring into my amber ones. "... maybe you'll believe what I can show you."

Instantly my body stiffened. _Not again. I-I can't take that pain again._

My fear must have been obvious, because she quickly turned her hand over, blocking the pink orb from my view. She reach her fee hand out for my shoulder, but I flinched away. She let her hand fall limp, sadness in her eyes. "Piper, I understand why your wary of what I just said. Please believe me. I won't hurt you."

I just stared at her turned hand. I could still see the pink stands of light it cast on the cave floor. I looked back into her eyes. I couldn't stop the words. "You already hurt me once. Why should I believe you?"

The pain in her eyes was instant. She quickly shut her eyes. When they opened again, they were slightly misty. "Aside that I asked you to?" She joked half-heartedly. When I didn't respond, other then having my eyes flicker back down at her closed hand, she let out a pained huff. "Fine. How about because... with what I plan to do... the only one that could get hurt is me?"

My first instinct was to call her on her lie, but... the way she said it... the finality of it... Somehow I knew she spoke the truth.

Should I trust her? True, she hurt me. Hurt me bad. But ever since we landed on Amazonia, she's been so... different. So sweet. So innocent. I just couldn't believe that the girl I'd come to know would hurt me.

_Don't you get it?_ That voice was back. _It's an act. She just wants you to lower your guard so she can use that crystal on you!_

But... why would she? I mean... her reasons at least made sense on Cyclonia, but here, in the middle of nowhere? What reason does she to hurt me?

_Who knows? Who cares? It's Master Cyclonis! She's insane. She's evil. What other reason does she need? _

But...

_Think about what she's done. Think of all that she's hurt. All that she's destroyed. Think of everything she'll do. Think..._

Stop.

_...what?_

Stop. Just stop. I could think about this all day and just come up with reasons why not to trust her. But whats the point? Maybe I should just stop. Maybe I should just stop thinking...

...and go with it.

"What do you want to do?"

Cyclonis blinked. "What?"

I forced my body to relax as I spoke. "With the crystal. What is it that... you want to show me?"

She stared at me for a moment, surprised. Then her eyes lightened a bit. A small smile crept up her face. "Well... truthfully, the Mental-Absorption crystal is poorly named, as it not only allows one to take memories... but also give them."

I cocked my head, both in surprise and confusion. "You want to give me your memories?"

Her smile widened slightly, a fresh blush replacing the one that had faded earlier. "I figured that you might believe me better if you experienced my feelings as I felt them."

The thought of Cyclonis willing showing me her memories was surprising... but at the same time, kind of captivating. Still I couldn't help but still be a bit skeptical. "How do I know what you show me is the truth, and not something you made up."

Cyclonis gave me another look, but rather then sad, this one was more of annoyance. "Because, it takes an extreme amount of power and knowledge to create a crystal capable of faking or altering memories. Such a thing has not existed for hundreds of years." She then held out the crystal to me, her palm open and loose. "Piper, _please_." She pleaded.

I looked at the crystal. Then back at into her eyes. I let out a long, deep breath. I held out my hand towards hers. "Okay."

Cyclonis' entire face lit up. "Thank you," she replied, her voice full of joy. Reaching with her empty hand, she turned mine face up. She then placed the pink crystal in my hand closing my fingers around it for me. It was warm to the touch, almost like it was alive. Then, still holding onto me with one hand, she placed the other over mine.

"Okay," She said. "Close your eyes. Empty your mind."

I did as she said. I let everything slip away, focusing only on the warmth of the crystal. And the softness of her hands.

I started to feel what could only be described as a tug on my mind. It grew stronger and stronger. I started to lose the feeling of warmth in my hand. Soon it was gone, and I was lost in a sea of darkness. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear; I couldn't even think.

Suddenly my eyes opened, though no by my own choice.

And then I knew.

I wasn't Piper anymore.

_I was Master Cyclonis._

* * *

**A/n: I'm sorry it's so short! It just seemed like this was the best place to leave off. I promise that the next one will be longer. And a bit more interesting.**

**Because next time we get to see what was going on in Cyclonis' mind this whole time.**

**This is gonna be fun.**

**Don't forget to review.**


	9. Chapter 9: Family

**Important note: While these are Cyclonis' memories, Piper is seeing them in real-time, so it's written as if these events are happening right now. It might be a bit jarring to read, so I apologize in advance.**

_Italics underlined_ **= thoughts**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Family**

_ I'm standing at the end of my throne room. In front of me stands Ravess and Snipe. Ravess stands at attention, ever the respectful general, even when in fear. Unlike her spineless brother, who's fear betrays him so strongly that the sound of his knees knocking together echoes throughout the room. _

_Another failed mission. Things had been moving so smoothly in the war. Now it seems like any mission I send my troops on always ends in failure. All thanks to these... Storm Hawks. After Dark Ace had been overpowered over Terra Gale, I had thought that by sending two of my top generals on a single mission, I would get twice the results: not only would all of Atmosia's merchant ships be at my mercy, but should the Storm Hawks show up, they would be crushed. Instead, I received double the failure._

"_Failure has consequences." I say to them. A distortion enters my voice as I continue. "Terrible consequences."_

_Ravess and Snipe hang there heads, whether in shame or simply resigning to their fates, I don't know. _

_Reaching into my robes, I pull out a deep red crystal. I close my eyes and concentrate. In my hands, I feel the crystal begin to glow with a hellish light. Two dark red tendrils burst from the crystal and envelop the siblings, resulting in a scream from the two. Both are lifted high in the air, the fear in their eyes obvious. They hang there for a few moments..._

_I cut the power to the Levitation crystal. The two generals stay suspended in the air for a brief moment, just long enough to share a look of surprise. Then they fall to the ground. Hard._

_They both slowly look up at me. Snipe is so dazed, I wonder if he's completely conscious. Ravess on the other hand, appears to be more tired then hurt. Odd._

"_Am I clear?" I ask in a fake sweet voice._

_Ravess is the only one to reply. "Yes, Master Cyclonis." Her voice sounds withered, like it's coming from someone twice the age of the woman before me. Something in the back of my mind tells me that she shouldn't sound like that. That it wasn't right. I ignore it._

"_These Storm Hawks are becoming a problem." I say, mostly to myself then to my battered generals._

_Ravess quickly gets off the ground, her brother right behind her. "Give us another chance-"_

"_No," I cut her off. Both her and her brother hang there heads again, though this time simply out of respect. "The Dark Ace will deal with them later. For now, they merit closer observation. I see promise here. Great promise."_

_It was true. This Storm Hawk, this... Piper... from the reports I've read, it seems that she has the skill to mold raw crystals. Few in the Atmos have the capability to become a Crystal Mage. Even fewer show the potential this girl seems to possess. If I could get her into my ranks... push her abilities to a hight almost that of my own... but first, I need make sure this information is accurate. I need a plan._

_Already an idea springs to mind. I feel a dark smile form on my lips. Yes. That should do it._

* * *

_This was such a moronic plan._

_I guess I'm being too hard on myself. It was a good plan. Talon patrols said that the Storm Hawks had been scoping out the route of the garbage barges. It wasn't hard to figure out they'd hit one for a recon mission. All I had to do was swoop down disguised while they were there, say I was there for the same reason they were. All the info on them said that they were much too trusting for their own good. It would have taken little effort to get on there side, get close to Piper._

_If not for the storm._

_ I brushed my now-blonde hair out of my eyes, the wind blowing around me at dangerous speeds. For the third time my hand went to the Cloaking crystal around my neck, though for no real reason. The Shielding crystal in my pocket made sure that the pink stone wasn't going anywhere. Neither were the Levitation and Velocity crystals allowing me soar through the wind-raged skies right now. When you have abilities as powerful as mine, you don't need something as archaic as a Skimmer._

_Where are they? I thought, frustrated. I'd been flying through the storm for twenty minutes now, with no sign of the barge or the Storm Hawks. Did I miss them already? Maybe I should head back and-_

_A shrill scream tore through the storm._

_My head jerked down towards the sound. I spotted a small figure being thrown around in the wind. I watched as it pulled it's chute, only for it to be ripped off it's back. It let out another scream._

_It was Piper._

_All thought left my mind. For some reason, two words overcame me._

_**Save her.**_

_I pointed myself down and focused on the Velocity crystal. Instantly I was rocketed towards her. Once I was close enough, I reached out and grabbed her by the arm, the pink aura of my Shielding crystal enveloping her. I quickly cut the power to the Velocity crystal and increased the power of Levitation and Shielding crystals. We both quickly jerked to a stop. _

"_I've got you." I said to her in my disguised voice._

_Piper looked up to me in shock. "Who's got me?" She asked in a scared tone._

_I let out a chuckle at that. Looking down through the clouds, I could see a small outcropping of rock jutting out of the Wastelands. It looked to be the only piece of land around._

_I looked down at Piper. "Hold on tight," I called down. I focused._

_Piper stared up at me, confused. "What are you-?"_

_We rocketed forward in a quick burst of speed. Piper let out a yell, clinging onto my arm in a desperate death grip. Ow._

_We were only a few feet from the strip of ground when I released the Velocity crystal's power. Before we hit, I switched to the Levitation crystal. We landed lighter then a feather._

_Despite our feet being firmly on the ground and the Shielding crystal protecting us from the wind and the rain, Piper still had my arm in what felt like a vice, her eyes tightly shut._

"_Um..." I said. "You can let go now."_

_Her eyes snapped open. She looked at me, then down at my arm._

"_Oh! Oh, sorry." She let go, and I quickly felt the blood rush back into my arm. I wouldn't be surprised if I would bruise._

_As Piper backed away, I took in the girl in front of me. I'll admit that I found her skin color... strange. There were none in Cyclonia with skin so dark, at least not to my knowledge. However, combined with her deep navy blue hair and wide amber eyes, she just looked... right. Perfect, even._

_There was an awkward silence as we both took each other in. Suddenly Piper stuck out her hand. "Thanks for back there. I'm Piper."_

_For a moment, I just stared at her hand, surprised. I quickly gathered myself and shook her hand, putting on what I hoped was a convincing smile. "My name's Lark." My smile grew a bit at the alias I had chosen. It was a fitting name, all things considered. "Don't mention it."_

_Piper smiled, and I felt my heart do a small flip. I'd... never made anyone smile before._

"_Hey," She said, interrupting my thoughts. "Are you doing this?" She gestured to the pink aura around us, blocking the wind and the rain._

"_Oh! Oh yeah. Just a sec." I focused for a second, extending my arms out, and the aura pushed away from us, forming a dome of pink energy. _

_Piper watched with wide eyes as I effortlessly bent the crystal's power to my will. When I was done, she stared at me in awe. "That was so cool!" She suddenly yelled, a wild grin on her face._

_I was so surprised by her outburst that I stepped back, tripping myself in the process. I fell back hard. "Ow."_

_Piper was quick at my side. "Sorry! Are you okay?"_

_I looked up at her as I sat up, a hand on my now-aching head. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine." I gave her a hard look. "Was that really necessary?"_

_Piper gave a bashful chuckle as she sat down next to me. "Sorry. I get a little exited sometimes."_

_I felt a sarcastic smile creep across my face. "No kidding?"_

_That made her give an honest laugh, which gave me that same feeling in my chest. I'd never made anyone laugh, either. It was a strange feeling, but it felt... good. "Yeah. But seriously, how the heck are you doing this?"_

_I cocked my head to the side, a tad confused. Maybe she wasn't as gifted as I thought. "It's just a simple Shielding crystal."_

_Piper's eyes widened. "Really? I've never seen one of those in real life. Is that is around your neck?"_

_She pointed at the Cloaking crystal around my neck. I had to stop myself from correcting her. I needed to know her extent in crystal knowledge. Such a blatant mistake did not give me high hopes. "Yes, it is. Impressive, is it not?"_

_Piper gave me a slight look. I mentally kicked myself when I realized why. Normal teenagers don't speak so formally. _

"_Yes, it is," She answered, apparently brushing off her brief confusion. She got up and walked to the forcefields edge and pressed her hand against it. The field rippled slightly, like it was made of water. "Cool." She said again._

_Without really registering, a small smile formed on my lips. The look of wonder in Piper's eyes reminded me of myself, years ago, when Grandmother first showed me a Shielding crystal. I once again felt that brief pain in my chest, before I quickly snuffed it out._

_That's in the past, I told myself. The past doesn't matter anymore. Focus on the now. Focus on..._

"_Lark, you okay?"_

_Piper's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Without me noticing, she had returned to my side and was now staring at me, an odd expression on her face. It took me a moment to remember it as concern._

"_Oh, uh, what? Sorry, my mind kind of... wandered there for a moment."_

_Piper chuckled lightly. "I'll say. I had to say your name three times before you heard me."_

_I laughed lightly back, though mostly because of the main reason I hadn't responded to 'my' name. "Sorry. Bubble blonde," I joked, brushing a strand of cloaked hair out of my eyes._

_Piper smiled at my joke. Then her expression morphed back into one of curiosity. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why were you out here? And what happened to your skimmer?"_

_I smiled inwardly. This I was prepared for. "I heard that a Cyclonian garbage barge would be cruising through here. Thought I might be able to scrounge up something useful." I stared up at the swirling clouds in annoyance. "Didn't count on this storm."_

_Piper followed my gaze, mirroring my expression. "Yeah, same here."_

"_As for your question about my skimmer, I don't have one."_

_Piper turned back to me, an incredulous look on her face. "You don't have a..." She looked up at the sky before looking back at me. "But then how...?"_

"_Oh, it was nothing," I said truthfully, waving off her question. "Just a simple Velocity/Levitation crystal combo."_

"_Really?" Piper asked, surprised. Then her features turned confused. "But how do you keep the Velocity crystal's excess power from bleeding out?"_

_A brief jolt of shock went through me. While not exactly an advanced question, you would need skills well beyond beginner levels to dwell on such a problem. Perhaps she truly was the prodigy I had taken her to be._

_I gave her a genuine smile as I answered. "Oh, not a big problem. My Shielding crystal works both ways, keeping the other crystals power inside the barrier while keeping everything else out."_

_Piper's eyes grew larger as a wide grin spread across her face. I had the distinct feeling that it was the same look a child would have after been given a new toy._

"_I never thought about doing that! With that kind of an ability, you could keep used energy from dissipating. Heck, you could even recharge a crystal with its own recycled energy!"_

_I blinked at that. I had never considered it but... in theory... she was right! In fact, it could potentially be perpetual motion! With that kind of power, my army could..._

_Ka-BOOOOOOOM!_

_The sky lit up in a blinding flash, a deafening explosion rocking the landscape. For a few seconds my mind went blank. Once my mind (and my heart) started running at the right speed, I registered that something was holding onto me tightly. _

_Looking to my side, I saw that Piper had latched onto me in fright of the lightning. To my embarrassment, my own arms had done the same to her._

_For a brief moment, we just stared at each other. I could feel the blood rush to my face, but strangely, I also felt my body relax. It was almost like I liked being held on some unconscious level._

_Finally Piper gave an awkward chuckle. "Heh, uh... sorry," She mumbled as she unlocked her arms from around me. I did the same, instantly missing the feeling._

_An awkward silence settled in for a minute. Then Piper turned to me. "Hey, when this storm calms down, you wanna head over to my ship? I've got a bit of a crystal collection if you want to check it out."_

_At this, I felt another smile curl my lips, this one a bit more devious. This was exactly what I was hoping for. "Really? That'd be awesome!"_

_Piper's smile grew even larger, and I felt mine grow along with it. I turned my gaze to the sky, waiting for the dark clouds to fade._

* * *

_She's self taught._

_I leaned against the Condor's railing watching the clouds drift by below. Behind me I can hear Piper an the Wallop work to fix the piece of scrap metal that used to be a Heli-scooter. I tried to block them out as I thought back to what had happened in the last few hours._

_Once the storm had let up, Piper and I had taken flight as we tried to find the Storm Hawks' ship, the Condor. The flight had been... interesting. I had expected Piper to merely hold my hand to keep contact, but shortly after taking flight, she instead had the idea to wrap her arms around my neck, riding on my back. I had not expected that, but it had made it easier to keep level while flying, though it took a while to get use to her weight on my back. Though... admittedly...the the feeling was not... uncomfortable. _

_Once we had found the Condor, I was faced with my first obstacle: the crew. Luckily, only two people were on board at the time; Junko, a Wallop who, as expected, was more brawns then brains, and Stork, a Merb who was quite possibly the most paranoid, cynical creature I had ever met. When I had first stepped onto the bridge, I thought that my cover was blown. Stork was eyeballing me the entire time, with a look that seemed to cut right through the Cloaking crystal. However, after listening to him drone about conspiracy theory involving strangers, Sky Sharks, and a can of spray paint, I realized that this was just the way he acted. All the time._

_It was when the other two, their technicians expert Finn and Aerrow, the Leader, had returned that I started to get worried. Not so much because of them themselves, (in fact me and Piper had a moment of genuine hilarity when Finn tried to hit on me. Me of all people!) but for what came with them. The Lemur-Rabbit, Radarr. It wasn't fooled. It may not have known who I was exactly, but it knew that I was not to be trusted. Luckily, thanks to my Cloaking Crystal and a nearby storage chest, he was out of the way, at least for now._

_After I had met the crew, Piper had taken me to her crystal lab-slash-bedroom. Which brought me back to my original thought._

_She's self taught._

_That was... shocking. Who am I kidding?; it was unheard of! No one teaches themselves how to use crystals, especially not through trial and error. That's how people get killed, messing around with things they truly didn't understand. And yet, there stood Piper, who had been experimenting with crystals on her own for apparently years, with no books on the subject, and now, though rough around the edges, could honestly rival me in crystal knowledge. Me, who was trained by two former Master's of Cyclonia. _

_Several emotions passed through me as those thoughts crossed my mind. Anger at being shown up. Embarrassment for Piper being so light hearted about what was painstakingly hard for me to do. Sadness at the thought of my lost family._

_And yet, there was one emotion I hadn't been expecting: relief. Relief in knowing that I was not the only one with these thoughts. I have someone who shares my interests, who understands what I say. I'm not alone anymore._

_I let out a groan and leaned harder against the railing. This now left a major problem. I had come here expecting to find an apprentice, someone to train. I had not expected to find an equal, someone who, if I had to be honest, was in some ways superior to me. I also hadn't counted on the strong bonds she had with her squad. I'd assumed that they were merely associates, people who had were obligated to work together, like Snipe, Ravess, and the Dark Ace. Instead, I found a band of people who were closer then I could have possibly imagined, all of them willing to put there lives on the line for one another. Almost like... family..._

_I felt my hard beating faster. I didn't like the situation I know found myself in. My plan of recruiting Piper was gone. There was no doubt in my mind that Piper would never abandon the Storm Hawks by me simply dangling the prospect of more crystal training. That meant that when I left here, my mission would be a failure. Master Cyclonis would be a failure._

_I felt like I could cry. My father ruled as the perfect example of a leader for over ten years, my grandmother for thirty. Over forty years of Cyclonian perfection. _

_And know, less then two years into my rule... I've failed._

_A sudden hand on my shoulder made me jump. Turning, I found Piper at my side, a look of concern on her face. "Lark, are you okay?"_

_I quickly switched to the overly giddy voice I had worked on, flashing her a smile. "Of course, Pipes. Why wouldn't I be?"_

_Piper's frown deepened. In a quick move, she reached out a hand and wiped my cheek. She held out her hand, showing a small speck of liquid. "This, for one."_

_Seeing this, I quickly turned away in embarrassment. Undercover or not, Master Cyclonis does _not_ cry._

_Piper put here hand back on my shoulder. "Hey, what's the matter?"_

_I kept my gaze on the clouds below. "It's not important."_

_Piper then gained a somewhat stern look. "Lark, your my friend. That makes it important to me."_

_That stopped me cold. Friend... I'd never had a friend before. _

_I gave Piper a quick glance. After thinking for a moment, I sighed. What else do I have to lose? "I was just... thinking about my family."_

_Piper's eyes widened a bit. Then she looked down. "I'm sorry."_

_I turned to look at her, surprised. "How could you know...?"_

_She gave me a sad smile. "It's in your voice. I've heard that tone more times then I care to count."_

_This really surprised me. "How...?"_

_She seemed to think for a moment, then stared out into the clouds. "Me, Aerrow, and Finn grew up together... on Terra Neverlandis."_

_Now my eyes widened. "The orphan Terra."_

_Piper nodded. "At least it was until the Cyclonians shut the orphanage down. When everyone else left, we stayed. Before that, though, kids would always come in, looking shell shocked from being told their parents weren't coming home from the war."_

_I knew I shouldn't, but for some reason I had to know. "And... yours?"_

_Piper's eyes drifted further down. "Yeah. They were Skyknights. The caretakers told me my dad died at the Battle of Bogaton. No one knows what happened to my mother."_

_I felt a lump in my thought. I forced myself to swallow it. "Do you remember them?"_

_She shook her head. "I can't remember my dad. But... my mother..." A tiny smile crept across her face. "...I have this one memory. Nothing special. It's just... her smiling." I could see Piper's eyes start to glisten. "She was the most beautiful person I've ever seen."_

_A sudden thought urged me to put my hand on her shoulder. When I did, she looked at me, a small smile on her face. That smile put something in my chest. It felt... warm..._

_Piper wiped her eyes clear. Then she smiled again. "So... what's your story? Do you remember anything?"_

_The warm feeling almost dissipated, replaced with cold fear. Of course, I couldn't tell her the truth. But... I didn't want to lie to her either._

_I took a deep breath. "My mother died in childbirth. I never knew her." Piper lowered her head sympathetically. "But Father always told me she loved me. I like to believe that. I lost him when I was four."_

"_The war?"_

_I let out a humorless laugh. "You could say that." I didn't mention which side of the war head died in. "I was mostly raised by my grandmother. She took care of me after I lost Father."_

"_Do you remember her?"_

"_Oh yes." No one could forget the last Master Cyclonis. Being the first Cyclonian ruler to give her son the throne after ruling unopposed for twenty years, only to be forced back into it when his flagship was lost to the Wastelands. "She was very strong. Always having to deal with her own loss, yet standing tall just the same. She sometimes told me that I was the only reason she kept going."_

"_What happened to her?" Piper quickly backtracked when I turned sharply to her. "I mean... if you want."_

_I looked at her for a moment. Then I let out a sigh, smiling sadly. "It's okay. Grandmother held a position of... highly influential power. She made a lot of enemies. One of them put a sword in her back."_

_Piper's hands flew to her mouth, a look of horror on her face. I couldn't blame her. I decided to leave out the fact that I was the first one find her that day._

_**No you weren't.**_

_I flinched. That same feeling, the same one that hit me when I saw Piper falling. It always hit me when I thought back to that day. I could never figure out why. _

_My thoughts were shattered, however, when I suddenly felt two slender arms wrap me in a surprisingly strong hug. _

"_Oh, Lark. I'm so sorry." _

_Piper's voice surprised me. It was so soft; so sad._

_Tentatively, I put my arms around her awkwardly. Surprisingly... it felt good. She felt warm. Comforting._

_It was with regret that I pulled away, but still managing to give her a smile, one that was surprisingly not as forced as I thought it would have to be. _

_Right then, I made a choice. I didn't want to lose this. This feeling of friendship, of... acceptance. But I couldn't just abandon Cyclonia. I still had a war to run..._

_A war that had cost Piper her parents._

_My blood ran cold._

_A war that had cost me mine._

_My blood froze._

_This trail of thinking was taking me into dangerous thoughts. What I was thinking of was traitorous. Treason. It went against everything I had ever thought or been taught. I couldn't do it. But looking at Piper's face. I knew something._

_I had to try._

_I had to..._

* * *

I let out a gasp.

It took me a moment to get my bearings. I was back in that cave, which was know lit only by the quickly fading light of the late-evening sky. Cyclonis sat in front of me, looking exhausted.

I blinked.

_That's right. _She's_ Cyclonis. _I'm_ Piper._

Funny. Never thought I'd have to convince myself of _that_.

Cyclonis looked at me. Her light violet eyes wavering a bit, trying to stay open. "I'm sorry, Piper. I had more to show you, but..." Suddenly she let out a most unladylike yawn. A shade of pink encompassed her features when she realized what she had done. "...but, using the crystal for so long, I feel... drained."

I thought back to everything I had seen, remembering it all both from my own point of view and from hers. I felt a blush of my own come on as I remembered that conversation from so long ago. _ I thought she'd made all that family stuff up, but... it was real._

Cyclonis wobbled a bit where she sat. The she started to fall to the side.

On instinct I reached out and grabbed her gently by the shoulders. "Whoa, watch it."

She blushed a bit more, but her eyes drooped down at the same time. "Sorry Piper. I just feel... a little tired."

That was putting it mildly. I could tell that the girl was fighting to keep her eyes from drifting shut. I fight that she was losing.

I couldn't help but smile. I couldn't deny it anymore. In this state, tired with a small pink glow I her cheeks, the big bad Master Cyclonis looked very cute.

Cyclonis' eyelids drooped again, and it took longer this time for them to open. I made a snap decision, and acted on it before the logical part of my mind could give it's two cents.

I gently pulled on Cyclonis' by the shoulders, guiding her to her side. She seemed surprised, but didn't resist. I now found myself on laying beside her, gazing into her violet eyes, which somehow seemed much lighter in color then they had just a few days ago. God, had it really been just a few days since Blizzaris? It felt like a lifetime ago.

Cyclonis was still fighting off the temptation of sleep. I laughed quietly. "It's okay, Cy. Try to get some sleep."

Despite her exhaustion, Cyclonis manged to raids an eyebrow. "Cy?"

I blushed, realizing my slip up. "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm a bit tired too."

Cyclonis gave a sleepy giggle, he eyes were just slits between her eyelids now. "No, it's okay. Honestly... I kind of like it."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. She nodded. "Well then, let's get some sleep, Cy."

She nodded. Then she reached an arm out towards mine. Her eyes looked onto mine, asking a silent question.

Surprising myself, without a second thought, I answered.

I reached out and grabbed her the arms, pulling her to me. When she was close enough, she tucked her head into my neck, wrapping her arms around me. I blushed a bit at the sudden movement, but smiled and did the same, cradling the back of her head with my hand.

As I felt myself start to drift into the blissful darkness of sleep a heard a muffled voice against my neck.

"Piper?"

"Hmm?"

"...thank you."

In answer, I pulled her tighter against me.

* * *

**A/n: Well, that didn't take to long, did it?**

**(Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!)**

**Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know this took forever to get up. But please keep in mind, I have a life outside of this story, and at the moment, college is kicking my ass. Not to mention writing in Cyclonis' mindset was difficult as hell, and I'm still not entirely sure I did it right. If I screwed up, I'm sure you guys will tell me.**

**I'll try to update a bit faster, but please be patient. Do not worry, though. I promise, come hell or high water, even if it takes me two years, I will finish this story! Please review and tell me if I did good or not. Thank you.**

**Also, I don't know when I'd start, but would anyone care if further down the line I start switching between Piper and Cy's POV? Truth be told, some ideas I have would work a lot better if seen through Cyclonis' eyes. Let me know in the reviews!**

**Oh, and Happy Halloween!**


	10. Chapter 10: Finally!

**Warning: This chapter contains extreme mushiness, and is my first attempt at such a thing.**

**You have been warned.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Finally!**

_Darkness._

_Freezing._

_Crushing._

_Suffocating._

_I can feel it. It's all around me. A force so monstrous and cold, it can penetrate my very soul. _

_It wants in._

_It _demands_ to be let in._

_But it can't._

_Not anymore._

_I curl up tighter, savoring the warmth. A tiny bubble of light in an ocean of darkness. I can see the darkness swarm around me, looking for a weakness. Looking for some way to get me. It bashes against the light, trying to break through. I can feel it screech out at me, a sound that has tormented me for years._

_A sound I can no longer hear._

_Thanks to the light, I can hear something that I have wished I could have for three years:_

_Silence._

_This light... since it appeared, I have felt things I haven't felt for what seems like a lifetime: warmth; joy; safety..._

_Safety._

_I feel safe._

_The light makes me feel safe._

She_ makes me feel safe._

* * *

Consciousness comes slowly. It's this moment, the brief period between dream and reality, that I treasure. When I can feel both the warmth of the light...

...and the warmth of her body.

I try to hold on to that dual feeling as long as I can, but eventually I feel the light fade. Reluctantly, I crack open one of my eyes, only to be met with a curtain of deep, navy hair and the dark skin of her neck. I feel a bit of pride in myself for not flinching upon waking up this time. It seems that I'm starting to get used to waking beside her.

At that thought, I feel two things. One is a warm sensation in my heart. The other is a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach, one of fear.

Fear that this won't last for much longer.

I've been trying to ignore it. To forget reality. To enjoy my time with Piper as long as I can. But... I'm Master Cyclonis. From a young age, my mind was trained to be a weapon; to take a situation, and find any weaknesses, any flaws. And the entire time that I watched Piper work to repair that Switchblade, there was one glaring issue that I just could not banish from my mind. Once we get off of Amazonia...

...what do we do next?

_Isn't it obvious? _My thoughts ask me._ Go back to Cyclonia, find out what shape your army's in. If Piper gives any resistance, knock her out and take her there by force._

That's what I should do. That's the most logical course of action.

But... if I do that... Piper would hate me. I'd lose her, if you could even consider what I have now as having her.

I can't lose her. I love her too much.

Surprised to hear me admit it? You have no idea how long it took me to be able to admit that to myself. I spent months trying to rationalize my feelings, trying to convince myself that I was imagining it, or that it was a trick. Maybe Piper had used a Hypnosis crystal or something of the like to give me these thoughts. Or maybe the stress of being queen was getting to me. Or maybe...

Or maybe I was just scared.

Could I be blamed for that? I'm Master Cyclonis. How would it look if it became known that the Queen of Cyclonia had fallen for a Storm Hawk? And not just any Storm Hawk; a _female_ Storm Hawk.

That second point alone would cause me to lose followers. Though such... _unconventional_ relationships did exist, they were very rare and were strongly looked down upon, at least in Cyclonia. I have no doubt that the older citizens, the ones how most strongly remember my Father and Grandmother's rule, would leave the Terra.

That sent another pain in my chest. Father... Grandmother... what would they have thought my feelings?

I push those thoughts as far out of my mind as I can, feeling my eyes start to water. I pull myself closer to Piper. She gives a small sigh in her sleep, much to my surprise and joy.

_Well,_ I think,_ Cyclonia's out, at least for the time being. What's that leave?_

Two words came to mind.

_Storm Hawks._

I grimaced. Not right now. That's a whole line of thought that will just depress me. Think of something else. Think of anything. Think of... think of...

An image came to mind. An image involving a lake.

And Piper.

In an instant, my face felt like it was on fire, groaned silently. Why won't that memory just leave me alone? I close my eyes and she's there, standing in the water, her wet navy hair hanging off her shoulders. She looks so... angelic. And then my eyes drift lower...

This time, I'm so mortified I can't hold in the groan. I flinch as the soft sound echoes off the cave walls, breaking the silence. Piper groans and shifts, but thankfully does not wake from her surprisingly deep sleep.

Why had I looked at her like that? Was I really that enthralled with her, that I couldn't even control myself when given that opportunity?

However, though my blush remained, this brought another thought to the front of my mind. Something that had bugged me ever since I had seen her... like that. When I saw her... chest... I could have sworn that there was something on her skin , dead center. Like a birthmark, or... or a tattoo, or... or... what _was_ that?

I pulled back from Piper a bit, just enough so I could see her face. For the first time I noticed the sunlight shining through the mouth of the cave. Piper had her back to it, causing the light give her fitting description of a sleeping angel.

Suddenly, I found two amber orbs staring at me, a sleepy smile on the face of their owner.

"Good morning."

It took all my will not to flinch back in shock. _How long has she been awake?_

"How...?" I start to ask.

Piper gave me a cheeky smile. "About ten minutes." Her smile fades, however, a thoughtful look on her face. "So... everything you showed me yesterday...that was all true?"

A feeling of dread started to worm its way through me. "Yes. All of it."

"The part about your family?"

I nod slowly. "Yes..."

Piper mimicked my movement. Then she smiled softly. "Even the part about cloaking Radarr?"

Part of my dread dissipated, replaced with relief. I felt a small smile of my own start to form. A brief chuckle even escaped me. "Yes, even that."

Piper laughed with me. Then an awkward expression overtook her. "So..."

"So." I answered back.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. When they opened, I saw a mixture of conflicting emotions. "You truly do have... _those_ kind of feelings for me."

I felt my heart start to hammer, my eyes lowering. "Yes... yes I do, Piper."

**Ask her! **A part of my mind ordered. The same part I had felt last year. The same part I felt whenever Piper came to mind. **It's now or never. Just get it over with and you can move on from there!**

I mentally steadied myself, scared of what the answer to my next question might be. I forced myself to look Piper in the eye. She still had a whirlwind of emotion in her eyes, but now I could see concern in them too. I took a deep breath.

"So... what do you think of that?"

Piper gave a minute cringe. Apparently she'd been dreading for me to ask this. I couldn't blame her, but at the same time I felt a small stab in my chest, of what I'm not sure. "I... I don't know. I don't know what to think. I mean... I've always thought of you as this cold, far off force, an enemy we'd have to face one day. But... now..."

I struggled to keep my face passive. Her words cut deep, but they weren't untrue. "But...?"

Piper's gaze broke for a moment, as if collecting her thoughts. When she looked back, her face had softened a bit. "But... there's more to you then that. You truly care for your Terra. You know the importance of family." I noticed a small tint form in her cheeks. "You... feel."

The pain that had been in my chest was now replaced with a warmth at every word she said. If was was thinking a bit more clearly, I would have been mortified by the hold she seem to have on me. Still, she hadn't exactly answered my question. "But what do you think... about my feelings for you." It took all my will not to stutter.

Instantly the small bit of pink she had turned to full red, with an embarrassed look to match. "Well, um, I... you see, uh... " She stopped her flustering by closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She let it out slowly, and then locked eyes with me. "You want me to be honest?"

I had to swallow the lump in my throat before nodding.

Piper returned it with a slight nod of her own. Then, reluctance evident in her voice, she spoke. "I... don't know how to feel. I mean... let's forget for a moment that we're on opposite sides of a war. That detail goes without saying." I nod again. I may love this girl, but that didn't mean I had forgotten our situation. Although...

Her voice cut of my thoughts. "Honestly... my biggest concern is that... well..." I had to bite back a laugh at the look of awkwardness and embarrassment as the object of my affections struggled to speak. "...well... it's just... we are... both... girls..."

I blinked. _Oh. So that's whats troubling her. _I couldn't help but to smile softly. "Is that all?"

Piper leaned a bit further back, her face incredulous. "Is that... what do you mean 'is that all?' This isn't normal! Two girls aren't suppose to... " She trailed off, her face getting redder by the word.

A small laugh escaped my lips. "First off, 'normal' is a relative term." Deciding to be bold, I moved my hand from it's resting place on her side, sliding it up her back. Piper gave a small start at the feeling. "And second, there's nothing wrong with two girls being in... " I bit my tongue as the word 'love' tried to make itself heard. "... a relationship." I said instead.

Now Piper blinked. "There's not?" She said hesitantly. In her amber eyes, I saw a mix of surprise, curiosity, and... was that... relief?

I nodded, my hand still sneaking its way up her back. "No, there's not. I don't know about the rest of the Atmos, but on Cyclonia there are several same-sex couples I know about."

Piper's eyes widened a bit. Then a worried look crossed her face, which soon turned to suspicion. "How do you know about them?"

My hand, which had reached to just between her shoulder blades, froze. _Should I tell her? It might scare her off. But... _(sigh)_ I can't lie to her._

All the same, my gaze lowered from her eyes to her dark neck. "Sometimes, the families of such a couple did not agree with such a relationship. They'd then seek council with me, asking me to enforce a law against such 'atrocities,' as they put it." Steeling myself, I looked back into her captivating amber orbs, the emotions in them unreadable. "I always refused to do so."

Now there was an emotion I recognized: confusion. "Why?"

Now it was my turn to blush. I once again broke my gaze from hers. "Because... if I did so..." I whispered, surprised by the softness of my own voice. "... I'd be a hypocrite."

Piper stayed silent. We lay there for a few minutes, silent, our arms still hanging loosely around each other. By now the sun had risen above the lip of the cave entrance, leaving us in shadow.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. Looking back to her face, I saw that she was staring off towards the back of the cave, deep in thought. In a soft voice, I spoke. "Piper? Please say something. What are you thinking?"

She was silent for a moment longer. Then she looked me in the eyes. In those calming amber eyes, I saw two things: apprehension, and... fear?

Despite that, her voice was just as calm and collected as ever. "It's just... I've never considered feeling... _that_ way towards another girl. I don't even know if I _can_ be attracted to another girl."

As she spoke, a thought crossed my mind. A stupid thought. An insane thought. A thought that, if acted upon just to have it backfire, would pretty much guaranty that Piper would never return my feelings.

However, if it worked...

Slowly, praying that she won't notice, I start to snake my hand further up her frame.

"Y'know..." I whisper, keeping my voice as quiet as possible. "There's an easy way to find out if you can have those feelings for a woman."

Piper leaned in a bit closer, trying to hear my voice clearly. "Really? How?"

I had to fight to keep the smirk off my face. There it was; that almost childlike innocence that had somehow survived despite all the hardships she'd been through. So trusting. I almost felt bad for tricking her like this.

Almost.

I steeled my nerves. This was literally all or nothing. What happens next could end over a year of dreams and fantasies.

Or... make them a reality.

"By doing... _this_."

I quickly leaned forward. Surprised, Piper tried to recoil, only to find my hand keeping her head from moving. Before she could react, I closed my eyes, and lunged.

Bliss. That's the only way to describe it. In that moment, everything just melted away. There was no war. There was no Cyclonia. There was no Atmos. There was just me. Just me and the feeling of her lips against mine.

In truth, it was nothing special. Just contact. I didn't go any farther then just pressing my lips to hers. But that was all I needed. If nothing else came of this, if Piper rejected me, I'd at least have this moment. This memory.

The moment our lips met, I could feel Piper stiffen in shock. I didn't dare open my eyes, afraid of what the look in hers would be.

I held the kiss for just a few seconds. Then, reluctantly, I pulled away. Then, I opened my eyes.

For the most part, Piper's expression was blank. However, in her eyes, I could see the gears turning, her thoughts shifting. Though I knew it had been a long shot, it still hurt not to see the happiness or acceptance I'd been hoping for.

I closed my eyes, releasing a sigh. _Better try to salvage what I can._

"Piper, I-"

A sudden pressure on my lips silenced me. My heart skipped a beat and my eyes flew open, disbelieving.

_She's kissing me._

_**She's kissing me!**_

Eagerly I returned the kiss, closing my eyes while doing so. If the last one was bliss, this was complete euphoria. Not only finally being able to make known the feelings that I've pent up for far too long, but having those feelings be returned as well was the greatest experience of my life.

A quick pain went through my head, similar to the ones I've been having lately, but it was gone just as soon as it had happened. If I had a better state of mind, I would have wondered about it.

But at the moment, I could really care less.

I don't know how long the kiss lasted. Seconds? Minutes? Days? I have a feeling that, if it were possible, we would have let it go forever.

Unfortunately, our lungs thought otherwise.

We broke away, both gasping for breath. I opened my eyes at the same moment she did, our faces flushed. As I tried to get my breathing (and my heartbeat) back to normal, I took in the girl before me. A small smile played on her lips, which sent my heart soaring once more.

"That... was..." She gasped between ragged breaths.

"Yeah..." I confirmed, grinning like a fool. Once I could breath rather then gasp, I looked deeply into her eyes, a new hope battling the uncertainty spreading through me. "So... does this mean...?"

Piper's smile faltered, but only slightly. She lowered her gaze as she spoke. "I don't know if I'm completely _comfortable_ with this..." I felt my heart start to sink. "But..." Her eyes once again met mine, and my heart seemed to rise in my chest. "...if this is how it feels to be with someone... with you..." Her smile grew softer, comforting. "...then... I think I'd be willing... to give it a chance. To give... _us_... a chance."

I blinked. That small pain came and went once again as my eyes started to water. Piper's seemed surprised, but then pulled me into a warm embrace. I clung tightly to her as lines of water slid down my face tears, not of sadness, but, for the first time, of joy. I'd been accepted.

Piper had accepted me.

* * *

"Stupid piece of scrap metal!"

I struggled to hold in my laughter as Piper gave the Switchblade a hard kick, causing it to wobble on it's wheels. This was the fifth time Piper had lost her cool in the past three hours. After Piper had... well, asked if we could start a relationship, (my heart did a small back flip at the thought) we'd finally gotten out of the cave and Piper once again tried to make the rusted bike function. Needless to say, it wasn't going well.

I got up from the tree I'd been resting under and made my way over to her. I wished I could be of more help to her, but mechanics had never been my cup of tea. Piper had asked me if Ravess had given me any memories of any tricks you needed to make the Switchblade work, but unfortunately, most of the memories I had gained from my most- _one_ of my most trusted generals, were mostly from battles. Mostly failed missions that the Storm Hawks had screwed up. In truth, that was one of the high points of my day, (not that _anyone_ knew so) listening to my generals give their reports and hearing of how Piper had a hand in their downfall. A bit counterproductive, all things considered, but it still brought a smile to my face when I was alone.

Piper was currently hunched over the bike's engines, a thick green... liquid?... coating her fingers. I patted her back in sympathy. "Having trouble?"

She barked out a humorless laugh. "To say the least!"

I nodded, peering into the bike's chassis. I might as well have been looking into the human brain. "What's still left to fix?"

Piper wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm. "Well, I straightened out the wing, so that's done. I've fixed the engine as best I can without new parts. It might not fire on all cylinders, but it'll get us off the ground. The only problem now is cleaning out all this..._gunk_."

She wasn't kidding. Over half of the engine was covered in a thick green paste, getting in between gears and coating wires. I scrunched up my nose at the mess. "Um... what exactly... _is_ that?"

Piper looked at me, and stifled a laugh at the look on my face. "I think that there were some plants growing in the engine itself. When I tried to turn on, they kind of got... mulched."

"Oh."

Piper sighed. "I wish I had a cooking crystal right now."

At that, I raised an eyebrow. "How would a cooking crystal help?"

In an instant, I saw a change in Piper's demeanor. Her eyes grew sharper, and a sense of pride entered her voice. "Cooking crystals give off a small enough heat source that we could dry out the mulch without damaging the engine. It would be ten times easier to clean out and I could do it in a fraction of the time."

I was... surprised, to say the least. It took a moment to realize that Piper had taken on the attitude of a teacher, and rightly so, as I'd never even considered using cooking crystals for such an application. However, that gave me an idea.

"Piper," I started. "Would any kind of heat source do?"

Piper gave me an inquisitive look, but answered non the less. "Yes, but it would have to a relatively light heat, somewhere around two-hundred degrees. (F°)"

I nodded, a sly smile forming. I griped my staff tightly. "Stand back"

I felt the energy flow from my body into my staff. Before she could respond, I let lose a small storm of lightning, causing her to stumble back in surprise.

The lightning only lasted about two seconds. As I cut the power, I felt the drain I always do when I use my lightning. I quickly shock it off and looked into the engine.

I turned to Piper with a smug grin. "That work?"

Piper came over and looked into the machine. I heard a small pop as her mouth dropped open.

Not only did dry the plant mulch- I incinerated it. Not only that, but I'd managed what Piper must have though impossible: I left the engine untouched.

Piper turned towards me, shock evident. Then she lunged at me, gathering me in a bear hug, actually spinning me around like in a sappy romance novel.

Not that it still didn't make me blush.

Suddenly she set me down, a lot of absolute joy on her features. "I can't believe you did that! Oh! Wait, wait, wait! Let me check something!" Piper practically hopped onto the bike and turned the key.

The effect was instant. Strong blue flames shot out of the jets, sending out a burst of heat. The engine itself roared, sounding unnaturally loud after so long with only the sounds of nature. There was a noticeable rattling noise as it idled, but that didn't matter. We didn't care if it ran at it's best; only that it worked.

Piper turned to me, beaming. "You did it Cy!" I felt my own bit of warmth as she used the nickname. "Now we can leave!"

That warmth suddenly turned into cold dread. I'd been waiting for this issue to come up. Waiting, but not wanting. I looked into Piper's eyes, sadness evident. "Leave... where?"

Despite my voice barely being audible over the engine, she heard me. Confused, she opened her mouth to speak. It snapped shut as cold understanding.

Piper turned off the Switchblade. Without the engine's roar, the quiet of the forest seemed almost smothering. I could see the thoughts going through Piper's mind. Probably for the first time in three days, she realized the problem with a Storm Hawk and a Cyclonian Queen trying to work together: where do you go?

We stared at each other in awkward silence for a full minute. While I tried to look calm on the outside, on the inside I felt like crying. I finally got Piper. I finally told her I love her.

And now I might be about to lose her.

Unexpectedly, Piper spoke. "Hey Cy?"

"What?" I flinch inwardly at how... _broken_ my voice sounded.

Piper seemed to realize how I was feeling on the inside. She got off the Switchblade and walked over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Do you know where any of your forces are?"

_That_ I was not expecting. But before I could question her, the thought hit me: did I know? I thought for a moment. After the failed assault on Atmosia, I had no idea where any of my forces could be. I didn't even know if the other ships had gone through with their orders, or if everything fell to pieces after the Murk Raiders attacked.

"No," I finally answered in a small voice. "No, I don't. But that doesn't mean-"

"Relax." Piper stopped me. "As it happens, I don't know where the guys are either. And, before you say anything, I'm not taking you to Atmosia."

I was both shocked and impressed at that. Impressed that she thought of that. Shocked that she wouldn't consider it.

At my questioning gaze, she gave a small laugh. She explained, "If I took you there... I don't even want to think what they would do to you." After a moment's hesitation, she gave a warm smile. "And what kind of girlfriend would I be if I let that happen?"

My head suddenly felt light. _She just called herself my..._ I could _feel_ the sappy grin start to creep onto my face. "But, then what..."

"Do you trust me?"

I blinked at the sudden question. "What?"

"Do you trust me?" She repeated, her voice kind.

Though the smart thing would have been to actually consider the question, I didn't hesitate. "Yes, I do."

She smiled brightly. "Okay. I know some people we can go to, where we can probably find out where the _Condor_ is _and_ where your forces are. We can figure out what to do next then."

I couldn't help but eye her suspiciously. "Are these people... Skyknights?"

Piper got a bit nervous, running a hand through her hair. "Well, yes. But their pretty lax on the rules. They wouldn't tell anyone about you after I talked to them."

That I somehow doubted. Still, I wanted to believe it.

_No, I want to believe her._

"And you trust these people?"

At this, Piper gave me a sharp nod, a prideful look on her face. "With my life."

In my mind, a battle was raging.

_No, this is obviously a trap._

**Piper would never deceive me.**

_She's a Skyknight. Not just a Skyknight, a Storm Hawk. Of course she'd deceive me._

**She hasn't yet.**

_That's beside the point. I don't know where she's taking me. She could try anything._

**On the other hand, it would be a long flight. And with only one seat, the only way we'd both ride is...**

"Okay. Let's go."

Piper beamed. She then turned and got on the bike. I followed, strapping my staff into the Switchblade's weapons holster. I got on behind her, tentatively wrapping my arms around her waist. I felt her stiffen at first, then, to my relief, relaxed in my grip.

"Okay," she said, excitement obvious in her voice. "Let's get off this rock."

The Switchblade fired up with a roar. With a twist the handle, Piper sent the bike hurtling through the forest, trees zipping by as we picked up speed. I clung tightly to Piper, burying my face into the long locks of her navy hair, silently praying. _ Please work, please work, please work, please work..._

Piper pulled the release. With the sharp scraping of metal against metal, the Switchblades wings unfurled.

Instantly we shot up into the air. I could feel my heart and my spirits soar with the Switchblade. Piper let out a shout of triumph as we shot up into the clear blue sky, leaving behind us the open field, the clear lake, and the cave that we had taken refuge in.

As we left Amazonia behind us, I rested my chin on Piper's shoulder. For the moment, I felt like nothing could go wrong.

It wouldn't be until much later that we realized we forgot something. On the cave floor, untouched for almost four days, lay a simple, orange headband.

* * *

**A/n: People, we have reached a milestone. As of this moment, with 53 reviews and just under 40,000 words, this is the longest, most reviewed Piper/Cyclonis fic _EVER. _That. Is. AWESOME! And I have all of you to thank. Thank you all for sticking with me, and hopefully you all keep sticking with going into 2013. Also, I hope you liked Cy's point of view in this chapter. I tried.**

**Also, to quote myself: FINALLY!**

**P.S. If anyone wants some more Piper/Cy fics, check out ****The Healer's Touch**** by Zoey Overbeck. It's more of a friendship fic then romance and it's just starting out, but I think it has promise. Just like with me, give it a little love and I'm sure it will turn into an awesome fic.**


	11. Chapter 11: Caught in a Gale

**Chapter 11: Caught in a Gale**

**Piper's P.O.V.**

**Master Cyclonis is my girlfriend.**

It's this thought that keeps replaying through my mind as the dented Switchblade cut through the orange tinted sky. A constant hum resonates from the engine into me, a faint ticking noise giving away that it's not at it's best. I keep the bike steady against the occasional updraft, assuring that we stay on course. It's bad enough I have to navigate on memory alone without the wind blowing us off course. Below us, an endless sea of clouds, hiding the nightmarish wastelands that lay beneath them.

I feel a small shift of weight on my back. A soft coo sounded in my ear as the girl behind me shifted in her sleep. It had been six hours since leaving Terra Amazonia. Six hours of nothing but watching the clouds drift by below. Cyclonis had fallen asleep an hour or two ago, simply out of boredom. I was starting to feel the wear and tear myself.

Subconsciously, my hand drifted from the handlebars to hers, her arms still wrapped tightly around my waist. I placed my hand over hers. As if in response, Cyclonis turned her head sideways, using my shoulder as a pillow.

A small smile crept across my lips. I feel... oh, it's so hard to describe. It's like there's two parts of me, each fighting for control:

One side is simply screaming to me that this is _wrong._ I mean, this is Master Cyclonis! Evil Empress of Cyclonia, leader of the Atmos' largest threat. I should be fighting her, not caring for her. After all, she practically shattered my mind. And even if that wasn't the case, _were both girls._ Despite what she told me, that still seemed... _strange_, to say the least.

But...on the other hand...

I tilted my head to the side, my cheek brushing against violet hair. Cyclonis nuzzled me back, sighing softly. I can picture the smile on her sleeping face. My grin widens.

On the other hand... everything just felt so right!

Looking back, I should have noticed what I felt. That strange, almost instinctual concern for her, that unexplained urge to look at her when we were wringing out our clothes; heck, looking back, how stupid was it of me to jump into that lake nude, with her just a few feet away? I was practically begging her to gawk at me. And... when she did see me... that feeling... maybe... I _did_ what her to look at me?

I felt my cheeks warm at the thought, a small chuckle slipping through my lips. It was kind of funny, now that I thought about it. _ I was sending out and receiving so many signals from her, without even realizing it. I'd probably still be in denial if not for the kiss..._

Oh God, that kiss!

That was just... just... wow! I'll freely admit that it took me by surprise, though looking back, it really shouldn't have. The look in her eyes, the tone of her voice; it was obvious what she was doing. Or, at least, it should have been. Honestly, the thought of kissing her had never been far from my mind since that dream. But that doesn't mean I expected her to actually do it!

But... when she did... I realized something. Now, I won't lie, the idea of being in a relationship, or rather, the idea of... _loving_ someone in such away... it scares me. But, when she kissed me... I realized that it not just loving someone... it's _being_ loved; that there's someone who has taken a part of they're heart, a part of they're _life_, and has chosen to give it to you. That may seem obvious, but, trust me, once that realization hits you, it changes things.

I break away from my thoughts and look up towards the sun. I was starting to worry by how low it had gotten. We had maybe an hour before the light faded, and I really didn't want to be in the air by then. I rubbed the exhaustion out of my eyes and scanned the horizon for the fiftieth time.

_Clouds, clouds, clouds, land, clouds..._

_..._

_Land!?_

I had to blink a few times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, there was a small dot on the horizon, which was rapidly growing in size as we neared.

Joy and relief flooded through me. Six hours of flying in broad daylight, no Timepulse, and yet we managed to make it. As the Terra grew closer, I could make out it's geography, confirming that we'd reached the right Terra.

I shook my shoulder a bit. "Cy, wake up. We're here." Cyclonis mumbled a bit in her sleep, but didn't wake. I shook my shoulder a little harder, causing her head to bounce lightly. "C'mon, Cy, wake up."

Rather then waking up, Cyclonis instead buried her head further into my shoulder and actually tightened her grip around my waist, forcing an involuntary squeak from me.

A small smirk formed on my lips. _So that's how she wants to play it, huh?_

I yanked back on the handlebars, sending us straight up. Cyclonis' eyes snapped open her mouth opening to say something, but I decided to cut her off. I did so by pulling harder on the handlebars.

Whatever she was going to say was replaced with a high-pitch scream as we suddenly found ourselves looking _up_ at the clouds of the Wastelands. The loop only lasted for a moment before I straightened out the Switchblade. If I had thought Cyclonis' grip was strong before, now it felt like she was bruising my midriff.

"What in Atmos' name was that for!?" She yelled in my ear, her voice higher than usual.

Rather then answering, I stated, smirk still in place, "You are a very heavy sleeper, sweetheart."

I waited for a witty retort, but none came. This confused me until my own words registered back to me.

_Sweetheart? Where'd that come from?_

The pressure around my waist lightened, the constriction becoming a comfortable embrace. I felt Cyclonis once again rest her head on my shoulder. Looking out the corner of my eye, I could see a slight blush in her cheeks. A small smile formed on her lips. "Y'know, for never having a girlfriend, you're pretty good at this."

Now it was my turn to blush. I forced myself to focus on the Terra in front of us. It wasn't very large, maybe ten miles from end to end. It was separated into three sections: two large islands and a narrow strip of land connecting them. On the hilly strip was a small town, a collection of small, rustic cottages. Atop the large of the two islands, which could actually be considered a small mountain, stood a large factory, Cyclonian in design. At one point it had terrified all who saw it, but what with the lack of smoke billowing from its stacks and the clear sunset lit sky, it seemed almost peaceful.

I turned the Switchblade towards the second, smaller island. More specifically, towards the single solitary house that dotted its surface.

I felt the pressure on my shoulder disappear, so I turned to look at my passenger. Cyclonis was peering over the side of the bike, analyzing the Terra. "This is..." Suddenly her head turned forwards, her eyes wide. "Piper, look out!"

My head snapped forward, just in time to see something white and bulky come flying towards us, various sized pipes sticking out of its surface.

I reflexively twisted the handlebars, attempting to spin the bike to avoid the makeshift missile. Unfortunately, my reflexes were tuned to that of my much more agile Heli-scooter. So when the slower Switchblade was only halfway through the spin, the incoming kitchen sink exploded against bike's wing, bending it inward.

This sent the bike into a death spin. I pulled vainly against the handlebars, trying desperately to keep it level. I only half registered Cyclonis' death-grip on my waist. The other part of my mind noted that we were now above the island... and that the ground was rapidly becoming much, _much_ closer.

Thinking fast, my one hand left the handle bars and grasped Cyclonis'. "Cy!' I yelled over the howling wind. "When I say so, jump!" I could just barely hear the sound of her voice answer. I really hoped it was an affirmative. I counted in my head. _Three... two..._

"Now!"

Luckily my timing was right. We jumped right when the Switchblade was on its side, sending us flying away from the bike. In the split second before we hit the ground, I somehow spun around, facing Cyclonis. Acting on instinct, I pulled her close and held her for dear life, feeling her do the same. I closed my eyes

We hit the ground rolling. We bounced of the ground a few times, each time feeling like a punch to the back. After what seemed like an eternity, we stopped.

After the momentary shock left me, I became aware of a familiar warm feeling. _Underneath_ me.

I slowly open my eyes, only to me met with two light violet eyes, inches from my own.

"Hi." She whispered breathlessly, a nervous smile gracing her lips.

"Hey." I answered back, just as quietly, my face burning.

Before the moment could get anymore awkward, I suddenly felt something grasp me around the ankles. Without warning, I was pulled off Cyclonis by my legs, until I found myself suspended upside-down under a tree. With a surprised yelp, Cyclonis was hoisted up next to me.

"Aha!" Suddenly a girl with black-green hair jumped in front of us, wielding a rusted spear. She wore kitchen pot like a helmet. When she spoke, it was with a deep ascent. "Now I have you, Cyclonian dogs! You will not terrorize my Terra... any... more..." She trailed off when she saw who she was yelling at, her fierce expression fading into confusion.

"Hey, Dove." I say nonchalantly.

"Piper?" She asked, disbelieving. Then she lowered her spear, a large grin spreading over her face. "Piper!" I was then treated to the awkwardness of an upside-down hug, Dove still managing to crush all the air out of my lungs. She pulled away, still beaming. "I can't believe you are here! When I saw the Switchblade, I assumed it was another scouting party, but instead, I find you!" Before I could speak, her gaze turned confused once more. "But, why were you riding a Switchblade? And why are you in those clothes? And why are you traveling with...?"

As her gaze turned to the side, I could feel apprehension grasp me as her now wide eyes fell on Cyclonis, who had watched Dove with a mix of amusement and nervousness.

The silence was suffocating as Dove's mind seemed to slowly comprehend who she was looking at. I was about to say something to try and explain, when Dove gasped, raised her spear, and took a defensive stance.

"You!" Her voice held a tone of anger, disbelief, and quite a bit of fear.

My diplomatic side kicked in, telling me to try and defuse the situation. "Dove, wait! I can explain..."

"Explain!?" Dove's gripped her spear harder, more fear leaking into her voice. She was losing her cool. "Piper, that's-"

"I know who she is." I cut her off. "Dove trust me, she's not a threat..."

"Not a threat!? Piper, that's Master Cyclonis! She's evil! She's dangerous!"

"I'm not the one pointing spears at people." Cyclonis retorted, her voice deadpan.

"Cy!" I snapped, throwing her an irritated look. "Not helping!"

Cyclonis stiffened at my tone. She looked down, abashed. "Sorry..." She mumbled.

Dove watched our quick exchange, her fear and anger fading, her former confusion escalating into complete bewilderment. She looked between us, apparently amazed that I was capable of making Master Cyclonis of all people apologize. She gave Cyclonis a long hard look, which Cyclonis returned, albeit with less scorn then I had anticipated. Finally, Dove tore here eyes from the Cyclonian queen, and stared firmly into my eyes. In her blue eyes I could see a desperate need for answers. "Piper," She started slowly. "I think we need to talk."

I let out a sigh of relief, now that the Rebel Duck had seemed to have calmed down. "You're right, we do. But, first, um... if you don't mind...?" I say looking down... or... _up_... at my bound ankles.

Dove tilted her head to the side, before comprehension washed over her. "Oh! Oh, oh just a moment!" With a swift movement Dove swung the tip of her spear across the ground, severing a taut rope hidden in the grass. Instinctively, I pushed my arms up at the falling sensation. It wasn't perfect, but I managed to land square, doing a small backflip to get back on my feet. As I bent down to undo the noose around my legs, I heard a pained grunt as Cyclonis hit the ground. Unprepared for the sudden fall, the Queen of Cyclonia had landed on her head.

I stifled a laugh as I untied my binds. Once free, I went over to her as she rubbed the sore spot on her head. "Need a little help?"

She sent me a small scowl, but I could see the joking shine in her eyes. "Help is unnecessary." With that, a tiny spark of electricity leapt from her finger tips, cutting through the ropes. As she pulled the rope away, her scowl morphed into a half-smile. "But... thank you anyways."

I smiled back and offered her a hand. Gratefully, she took it. "Don't mention it." I say as I pull her to her feet.

"Trust me, I won't." The jab held so little genuineness that I let out a small chuckle.

Looking back at Dove, I had to bite my tongue to keep from outright laughing. Eyes wide, mouth half-open, head tilted; this was the look of someone either questioning reality or their own sanity.

"Dove? You okay?"

Dove just shook her head slowly. "I... I'm starting to wonder."

I turned to Cyclonis. The girl was just staring at Dove, arms folded, her face neutral. But the way she seemed to shift from foot to foot constantly made it obvious that she was nervous, or, at the very least, uncomfortable.

I suddenly became aware of just how tense the air around us was, like a bomb was in front of us and we were just waiting to see who'd light it. This could turn bad real quick if I wasn't careful.

I took a deep breath, both to calm and steel myself. I let it out slowly, trying to force all tension out of my body. I put as genuine a smile as I could on my face and gave Cyclonis a long look, making sure she was looking in my eyes. "Cy, I'd like you to meet my friend Dove, Commander of the Rebel Ducks." Then, I turned to Dove, once again making sure our eyes locked before speaking. "Dove, this is Cyclonis. She's-"

" I know who she is." Dove cut me off with as hard a look as she could muster.

"-my girlfriend."

"Your girl..." If Dove's eyes weren't wide before, they sure as the Wastelands were now. She stared at me with the oddest look I'd ever seen. Something between bafflement, horror, and something... familiar, but seemingly out-of-place. "Girlfriend?" She asked breathlessly.

_Why did I say that?_ I don't know what force compelled me to blurt that out, and the look on Cy's face told me that she didn't either, but it was too late to try and backpedal. Just try and explain. "Yes, Dove." I turned to Cy, a warm smile forming. She returned it, sending a feeling of lightness through my chest. "We're a couple."

Dove's eyes flitted rapidly between us, her face contorting with increasing disbelief. Her breathing grew rapid and choppy. Her eyes seemed unfocused. My eyes widened with comprehension.

_She's not really going to-_

_(clunk!)_

_... yeah, she did._

Cy and I looked down at the prone Skyknight. I bent down and tapped the side of her head. Nothing. I looked up at Cy. "Out cold."

Cy knelt next to me, her eyes focused on Dove. "She okay?"

My gaze turned to her in surprise. I was a bit startled at just how... _honestly_ concerned she sounded. I tore my gaze from her and looked back at Dove. "I think so. I guess it was just too much to take in." I glanced towards the cottage in the distance. I put my arm under Dove's and looked at Cy. "C'mon, help me get her up."

Cy seemed startled for a moment, but after a moment's hesitation, she did the same.

I pulled Dove's arm around my neck, Cy mirroring me. With a small huff, we hoisted the limp girl up, her arms hanging off our shoulders. I glanced over Dove's head at Cy. "You got her?" Cy simply nodded in response. "Good. Let's try and get her to the house."

Together, we started up the hill towards Dove's home, said girl hanging off of us, her feet dragging across the ground.. A small glint sparkled in the corner of my eye. Twisting my head, I saw the Switchblade, dented, damaged, yet somehow still in one piece, laying under a far off tree, a trail of upturned dirt and wrecked landscape marking its crash course.

"So, are we going to go through this with all the rest of your friends?"

I hadn't been expecting Cy to talk, and I definitely had not been expecting such a question. It wasn't a question of _would_ she meet my friends as my girlfriend. It was of how I thought they'd react when she did. For some reason, the realization made me smile. "All? No. Most? Probably."

That got a small snort of laughter from the Cyclonian. "Marvelous," she mumbled sarcastically.

I chuckled lightly. "Let's just hope the next one to faint isn't Junko." Now Cy gave off a real laugh, that light, tinkling sound that ran at such odds with all I use to think of her. My mood suddenly too a turn for the somber as we trudged along. "You really want to meet my friends? My squad?"

Cy was silent. Then, she looked to the ground and let out a long sigh. "Want to? No. But..." She was silent again, gathering her thoughts. Before speaking again, she turned to me, a determined look in her light violet eyes. "... but I really want this to work. For _us_ to work. But the only way for that to happen is for us to be open with each other. I want to be a part of you life. But, though I hate to say it, I know that the Storm Hawks are a large part of you life. If I want to be with you, I'll have to deal with them." She must have seen the half-believed alarm in my eyes, because she gave me an annoyed look. "Not like that. I just don't want you to have to hide our relationship from the Sto-... your friends.

"To answer your question, no, I don't want to meet your friends. But I'm going to do it anyway, for both of us. So you don't have to hide yourself from them..." She gave me a half-grin. "...and so I don't have to sneak through the _Condor_ just to see you when I want."

A fresh blush colored my cheeks as I focused on the path in front of us. All the same, her words filled me with a sense of optimism I hadn't known I was lacking. "You've put a lot of thought into this." I noted.

Cy just kept smiling, but turned to face the path too. "I've spent the last year thinking and debating what I'd do in the unlikelihood that you procreated my feelings." She scoffed under her breath. "Now I'm just trying not to over think myself."

I nodded, not sure what else to say. Well, that's not true. There was one glaringly obvious thing that needed to be brought up, but I feared what Cy's reaction would be.

_Then again, she's being open with me. I might as well voice my own concerns to her._

I took a breath, steeling myself. "Cy, aren't you worried about how they'll react, considering... who you are?"

Surprisingly, a small smile graced the pale girls lips. "I've thought about it. Honestly, that may not be as big an issue very soon."

I cocked an eyebrow, perplexed. "What do you mean?"

The house was now right in front of us. The lack of random yelling and airborne appliances told me that Wren, Dove's grandfather, was not home.

Cy gave me a long look, then shook her head. "I'll tell you later. Let's just say I've been contemplating something."

I couldn't help it. "What?"

Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet so strong it stirred something inside me.

"Peace."

* * *

**A/n: Honestly, I was going to make this chapter longer, but this felt like a good cut-off point, plus I wanted to make sure you guys knew I was alive.**

**So... Dove. Show of hands, who saw that coming?**

**Okay, I need to be serious for a moment. I really need help. As you all may have guessed, I have no experience writing relationships, as I fear the above chapter shows. If anyone has any tips for me on how to improve my writing to make the relationship more believable while still sticking with the tone of the story, please leave said tips and/or notes in the reviews, or IM me.**

**Also, have any of you ever Googled 'do a barrel roll?' It's really cool!**


	12. Chapter 12: Confessions

**Chapter 12: Confession**

**A/n: I am aware that I forgot to write Dove's accent in the last chapter. Completely my fault and I have no excuse. I shall try to do better from now on. Thanks, ClockWerk.**

* * *

**Cyclonis' P.O.V.**

_She's doing this on purpose._

My heart beats at a constant but quick pace as the sounds of falling water drift down the hall. She's right there, not twenty yards away. A thought comes, a fantasy that had plagued me for months.

_I ease the door open, keeping a silent as I can. Steam billows around me as I enter the room. Her euphonious voice swirls in the air, a calm melody with no true purpose, simply being sung for the sake of it. I let my towel fall as I tip-toe towards her hidden form, obstructed only by thin drapery. Slight tremors run through my fingers as I slowly pull back the dripping curtain. Surprised, she turns around. Seeing that it's me, a kind smile spreads over her features. She leans forward and..._

I slam my hands on the table, my face on fire. I shake my head, trying to clear the haze that had overcome my mind, a slight pain jolting through my mind. I glance around the room, looking for something, _anything_, to distract me.

Unfortunately, there's not much to see. I sit at small table in what I assume is the kitchen. I _assume_ because while half the room is taken up by a moderately sized counter, a refrigerator, and a kitchen sink, the other half appears to be that of a sitting room, a weathered loveseat and overturned wire drum (apparently used as a makeshift coffee table) sitting in front of a crackling fireplace.

Piled around the room are mounds of... junk. I can't think of a better word to describe it. I can't call it trash, because all of it is clean, spotless even. But... we do they have these objects!? Old books, scraps of metal, household appliances that appear not to have worked for years; it's all... just... useless!

A slight groan came from the loveseat, breaking away my inner bafflement. My eyes turn to the girl laid out on the too-small piece of furniture, her feet hanging a full foot of the edge. She shifts in her sleep, trying (in vain) to find a more comfortable position.

As I stare at her, I feel... conflicted. One the one hand, she is an enemy. This is the first time I've ever been near a Skyknight outside the battlefield, save for Piper, but she doesn't count because... because. I should feel contempt at the very sight of this girl named Dove. And yet...

...I don't.

"Augh!" I put my head in my hands, a sharp pain going through it. And again, that weird feeling like the pain is traveling through my eyes. Why?

"...mmmhhh... what 'appened?"

My head snapped up at the voice. I watch, part in fear, part in surprise, as the ramshackled Skyknight's eyes flutter open, staring at the ceiling in confusion. A hand clutches dark-green hair in pain, it's owners face contorting to express her apparent headache. She groans as she lifts herself up on her other arm. Instinctively, her blue eyes look forward...

...and lock onto me.

Silence floods the room. Dove's eyes widen to a point I had not thought humanly possible. I, however, kept a perfect air of calm... on the outside. On the inside...

"_She's awake! Um... uh... oh, what do I do, what do I do!?"_

_Be assertive! Make sure she realizes who you are!_

**But she's Piper's friend. Go slow. Help her understand we're not a threat.**

_Not a threat!? We're Master Cyclonis! We are a threat to all Skyknights!_

**Really? Piper?**

_... well... she doesn't count!_

**... Why?**

_Because... Because she doesn't!_

"_Um... she's still staring at me. What do I do?"_

**She's Piper's friend. Maybe if we make her our friend... that'd make Piper happy, wouldn't it? We want Piper to make happy right?**

_... humph!_

**Riiight?**

_... yeah..._

"_Okay! Make friends with her. Good, good... um... how exactly do you make friends?"_

**...**

_..._

**...oh! Be nice to her! That's what everyone always says to do when you want someone to like you, right?**

"_... yes. Yes, that's right! Be nice! But... um... how do you do that?_

**Um...**

_Uhh..._

"_..."_

**...**

_..._

"_God, we're bad at this."_

" Why are you 'ere?"

My internal deliberation was broken by a small voice. Even through her accent, I could detect the fear in her tone. At first, I was surprised at how blatant her panic was, but then I took a good look into her eyes. In them I saw only two things: confusion... and terror.

Instantly the pieces fell into place. Just awakened, most likely still drowsy, and the first thing she sees is me, the person she most likely considers her greatest enemy? I doubt she's even taken in her surroundings yet.

Looking at this girl, I my feelings begin to contradict once again. The Cyclonian in me sees her as a threat, and is acting accordingly; looking for weaknesses, faults, things I can use against her. However, a different part of me, a new part... no... not new, more like... forgotten... _that_ part sees this girl and... sympathizes... with how vulnerable she must be feeling.

I gave her a long look. Then I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. _Piper trusts her. I trust Piper. Logically, that means I can trust her. I have to try. For Piper... I have to at least try._

I opened my eyes and stared at Dove. The forest-green-haired girl hadn't moved, her gaze still locked at me. With a bit of amusement I took note how tense she was. Scared or not, she was ready to fight if need be.

I took another deep breath, then curved my lips into what I hoped was a kind smile. I thought for a moment, remembering her question. "We needed help."

Dove flinched at the sound of my voice, followed shortly by the narrowing of her eyes. "Who's 'we?'"

Now I knew my smile was genuine as my lips curved slightly further at her rather childish question. "Myself," I answered. "And Piper."

"Piper?" Dove's face twisted in confusion. You could see the exact moment when her memories came back; her wide eyes gained a air of shock, and a slight shade of pink colored her cheeks. "You... Piper said zat... you... her..." The oddly-clad girl's speech quickly degenerated into an indecipherable stutter, her face growing pinker and pinker until she was on the verge of turning red. "T-T-Together?" She finally managed to stammer out.

I tried (and failed) to hold back a giggle at the display. While I was slightly mortified to hear such an undignified sound escape my lips, (after all, a queen should _not_ giggle) I could not feel bad about the action. The girl's reaction was priceless, and I started to wonder if all of her friends would react in such a matter. If so, perhaps formally meeting the Storm Hawks might not be _completely_ intolerable.

_Maybe_.

I faced Dove, doing my best to seem serious yet still keeping the kind look I hoped I pulled off. "Yes, Commander Dove, Piper and myself are in a relationship. She is my girlfriend, and I am hers."

Dove just stared at me while my words sank in. She was still in the position of propping herself up, as she had been for the last ten minutes. I was beginning to wonder how her arms were not yet shaking from the strain.

"Girlfriend." Dove's voice seemed extremely small, bordering on shell-shocked, a stark contrast to the loud, energetic tone she had used when first addressing Piper a mere hour before. "Piper is your girlfriend."

"Yes," I affirmed. "Piper is my girlfriend."

She moved so that she was now sitting properly on the couch. "You're... Piper's girlfriend."

"Yes," I said again, cocking an eyebrow. "I believe I said that."

"You're a girl." She suddenly stated.

That made me blink a few times, a small twinge of annoyance seeping through my calm facade. "I would hope that would be obvious."

"You're a girl. You're a girl, and you have a girlfriend." I then noticed that Dove's eyes had left me, and she was now staring seemingly into space. "You're a girl. Piper's a girl. You're each each other's girlfriend. A girl with a girlfriend."

At this point I was starting to worry for the young Commander. She was so hung up on this one idea that she was starting to sound like she was losing her grip on reality. Then I noticed a change in her voice at her next words.

"A girl can 'ave a girlfriend."

It wasn't so much the statement as it was the way it was said. Dove's voice at this stunning revelation (seriously, was this really that foreign a concept?) was extremely soft. Not only that, but she sounded... happy. Completely stunned, mind you, but at the same time...joyful. As if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. But that didn't make sense unless...

_...oh._ A soft smile formed on my face, one of understanding. _Poor girl must be feeling the same way I did all those months back._

I rose from the table and walked over to the loveseat. Dove paid me no mind, as she was off somewhere in her own little world. That is until I settled onto the couch next to her.

Her head snaps towards me in an instant, her mouth open, most likely about to question me or yell at me. Possibly both. I cut her off before she can.

"You have feelings for someone," I stated, staring straight into her eyes.

Once again, her features morph into what could only be described as stunned, a fierce blush overtaking her. "W-What do you...?"

"But you're scared," I continue, effectively making her hush up. My gaze moves from her, my eyes finding the hardwood floor. "You're scared because you share a defining characteristic with this person; a simple detail that completely colors your entire perception of the matter. And it's this one detail, this one basic fact that leaves you questioning yourself. 'Are these feelings right? Is there something wrong with me? What will others think? What will _she_ think?'"

I feel my lips curve slightly. "But then you remember the feelings you have for her, that you feel at the very thought of her. That sense of calm that washes over you when you hear her voice. The warmth you feel when you see her smile. The way your heart starts to beat a bit faster at just the mention of her name." I let out a sigh, my smile slipping. "And it's then, precisely after you feel all of this, that the pain starts to hit you. A deep, stabbing pain right in the heart at how much you wish you could tell her exactly how you feel, only for your mind to start running every worst-case scenario there is.

"And then your right back with fear. Fear of rejection, both from those around you and the one you love. But also another fear, a good kind of fear; the fear that, when you finally get enough gall to express your feelings, she will actually say yes, and then your left wondering what to do next." I pause and look back at Dove. She is no longer looking at me. Her eyes are instead on the ground under her. I can see a glint in the corner of her eyes. I take a deep breath and finish. "And as time goes by, days becoming months, everything continues to increase. Your fear, your pain... and your longing."

The room is silent, save for the crackle of the dying fire. My face feels extremely warm, yet at the same time, I feel like a weight has been lifted from me. Maybe it just felt good to say all that out loud.

"'ow do you know zat?"

Her voice is so soft, I almost missed it. Turning to her, I see silent tears rolling down her cheeks. In her eyes is a pain that I have only ever seen in one other place: my mirror.

" 'ow do you know zat?" she repeats, her voice tight. "'ow could you know so completely what zis feels like?"

All I can do is smile sadly at her. "Because... that's what I went through... loving Piper from a distance. Waiting... hoping..." I let out a small chuckle. "... until fate gave me a helping hand."

Dove was quiet, and I could feel her analyzing me. Then... "You really love 'er, don't you?"

Now I'm not just smiling; I'm beaming. "Like you wouldn't believe."

A small smile formed on Dove's face, though it faded quickly into a look of uncertainty. "But... ez it really... _okay_ to feel zis way towards... you know..."

"Another girl?" I can't help but laugh at how her face reddens. "I can assure you, Commander, that there is nothing wrong with your feelings." Another chuckle. "Funny, I had to convince Piper of that, too."

"Really?" She asked, curiosity obvious. "How did you do zat? Could you maybe do ze same for me?"

"Uh..." Now it was my face that went warning-light red. "I-I don't think I could do that."

"Why?"

I groaned inwardly. Were all female Skyknights this innocently naive? "I, um..." for some reason, I couldn't say it out loud. I gestured for her to lean closer. Thankfully, she did. In her ear, I whispered, "_I kissed her._"

Needless to say, Dove's face now bared a striking resemblance to a Firebolt crystal.

However, that's when a thought came to Dove. "Um, where _ez_ Piper?"

Despite myself, I let out a small_ huff!_ "Piper has taken the liberty of borrowing you shower."

"Oh," was her only response.

The room descended once again into silence, thought weather it be uncomfortable or not, I couldn't tell, thought I _could_ tell that there was something eating at the girl. Curiosity finally got the better of me. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh!" Seemed I'd startled her. "Oh, w-well, zere ez nothing really w-wrong, per say... well zere kind of is, but, um..." She seemed to have noticed the rather annoyed look I was giving her for her attempts at dissuasion. "I-It's just... aren't you worried about, well... who you are?"

At this, I let out a long sigh. I knew this was coming, though I was impressed (and rather touched) by how calmly she asked it. Now the question was, how to answer it? I thought for a moment before getting an idea. It was a bit of a risk, but it would be the best way to get my point across. "Piper told me you live here with your Grandfather, correct?"

Dove tilted her head, confused. "My Pépé? Yes, why?"

I braced myself before asking my next question. "What happened to your parents?"

Dove's eyes widened, before falling to the floor. "Zey... died."

I give a slow nod. "In the war, right?"

She nodded dimly. "Yes... Pépé never told me how... just that it was while defending Gale."

I take a moment. Then... "Piper lost hers the same way." I take a deep breath. "You know that Cyclonia started this war to bring peace to the Atmos?" Her look of utter incredulous is answer enough. "It's true! My Grandmother's grandfather, the First Master Cyclonis, started this war in an effort to unite all the Terra's under a single banner. Back then, every Terra was at each others throats. Bogaton and Wallop were at war, Blizzaris was fighting Rex; dozens of different factions, each trying to obtain dominance over their own little slice of the world. The First Master decided that the only way to stop the fighting was to eliminate it himself. Since then, it's literally been Cyclonia against the world."

I let out a humorless laugh, leaning against the back of the loveseat. I watch as the blades of the ceiling fan spin around lazily. "And what do we have to show for it? People like you, me and Piper." Dove, who had been listening silently, cocked her head to the side, eyebrow raised. "Each of us have been pushed into the same role our parents had, the same role their parents had before them. You and Piper became soldiers in a fight that began before your grandparents were born. I have to rule an entire empire at war, dealing with all the groundwork that my ancestors laid before me." I close my eyes, suddenly feeling very tired. "And wondering what's the point."

Dove sat up very suddenly, shock evident. "Wha-what do you mean by zat?"

I crack open my eyes and give the forest-haired girl a sideways glance. "Dove, let me ask you something. Do you remember the last time Terra Rex attacked Blizzaris?" Surprised, she shook her head no. "What about the last raid Terra Wallop lead against Gale?" Again, a stunned shake of the head.

I chuckle sadly. "Of course you don't. Because they haven't, not for the last century. You see, I had an epiphany a few months back, though I've only started to accepted it recently. My Great-great-grandfather was successful in his hopes to unite the Terras under one banner, just not the way he had wanted it. Almost all the Terra's _are_ united now, except, instead of it being Cyclonia's banner, it's Atmosia's. By presenting Cyclonia as a threat to all of Atmos, all the individual Terras had put aside their own little feuds to try and defeat a bigger threat. And over the decades, all those Terras who wanted to kill each other have built a rapport with one another that cannot easily be destroyed. We are as close to peace as possible... and there's only one thing in the way of that." I turn and look right into her eyes. "Me."

Dove, for her part, had been very polite while I had been talking. She never interrupted, and I could see the wheels turning in her head as she digested what I had told her. Finally, she asked me the question I'd been waiting for: "So what are you going to do?"

I stare back at the ceiling, just watching the fan spin. I don't want to say it. There going to be so many problems, so many things that could go wrong. But then I think of Piper. I can't be with her the way things are now; to many things are in the way to have a true relationship. And then I think of Cyclonia, my home. I think of the Talons, the men that make up my army. I think of wives, mothers, sisters, sons, daughters; all the people waiting for their family to come home, wondering if they ever will. It's for them that I saw my next damning statement.

"Well," I start. "Once I return to Cyclonia, I'm going to call a meeting with my most trusted advisors. I'm going to tell them exactly what I told you. Then... I'm going to contact the Atmosian Council... and negotiate an armistice. After that... I don't know what will happen."

Dove was silent for a moment. Then, she gave me a curios look. "You really want zis, don't you? You're really going to end ze war."

I nod, still staring at the ceiling. "That's my hope. My family has been fighting over a century for a single goal. I'm so close to obtaining it now. How can I not take this chance? "

To my surprise, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Dove was looking at me, a small smile on her face. "Well, when ze negotiations start, know zat zere ez one Skyknight on your side."

That... was surprising, to say the least. Of all the reactions I had expected, for her to not only accept my plans, but to offer to help? I felt a warmth rise in my chest. Not the same warmth I feel around Piper, but still a good feeling.

I can't help but smile back. "Thank you. And, perhaps when this is all over, I can help you with your... situation."

Dove's cheeks gained a bit of pink, but her smile widened nonetheless. "I'd appreciate zat." She then thought for a moment. "Y'know, I don't zink we ever actually introduced ourselves."

I laugh lightly, not only for her near-random statement, but also since she's right. I put out a hand. "I'm Cyclonis, Queen of Cyclonia."

She grasped my hand in a firm yet kind manner. "I'm Dove, Commander of ze Rebel Ducks."

We shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you Dove." I say with an honest smile.

"Likewise."

"Well, nice to see you two getting along!"

Startled, I look behind me, over the back of the loveseat. There stands Piper, clad in the same uniform that Dove is (minus the pots and pans). She has a smile on her lips that makes my heart melt. A damp towel is in her hands.

A bit embarrassed, I ask, "Um... how long have you been standing there?"

She giggles, making my face warm a bit. "I came in about when you mentioned 'The First Master.'"

Now my face grew hot. _She's been there that long?_ However, I catch her give Dove a quick glance, a move that gives me a feeling that she'd come in even earlier.

She turns to Dove. "I hope it was okay that I borrowed your clothes... and your shower." She says, slightly abashed.

Dove simply waves her off. "Zink nothing of it. I would 'ave offered anyway." She then turned to me. "Are you going to take one too?"

I was surprised at her hospitality, but after looking down at my battered Cyclonian suit, (the same suit I'd been wearing for the last four days) I could hardly refuse. "Well, if you don't mind..."

"Et'z no problem. Towels are on ze third shelf of the bathroom closet, and feel free to take one of my uniforms."

"Thank you." I say, a bit stunned by her kindness. I got off the loveseat and walked towards the bathroom. I stopped and turned to Piper before passing. "I'll only be a few minutes."

"Take your time." Then, after only a moment, she leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the lips. She smirked at my stunned face as she pulled away. "Just not _too_ much time."

I smiled back before walking back down the hall, my heart beating much faster. As I walk away, I can hear Piper and Dove start talking, something about Dove's grandfather being on a mission in Atmosia.

Before I entered Dove's bedroom to reach the shower, I look back down the hall. I hear Piper give off a small laugh at whatever they were talking about, which Dove quickly joined.

_Piper is my girlfriend. I've gained a new ally... no... a new friend. And I may be able to end this damned war. _I turn to enter the room, a smile of contentment plastered on my face. _I think things might finally looking up._

* * *

**A/n: Looks like Cyclonis' way. I hope it all works out. (whistles innocently)**

**So sorry for the long wait, but I wanted this chapter to be perfect, and I think I came damn close. Some of you may say that some of the things in this chapter don't match up with earlier chapters. I ask you all to trust me when I say that all will be explained, just please be patient. **

**Let me know what you think. Remember, it takes reviews to keep a story going!**

**Also, I now have a poll on my profile of who you, the readers, think Dove's love interest is going to be. I already know who I have planned, but I'm curious about who you think it's going to be, or who you want it to be. The poll will last until the next chapter (whenever in the Wastelands that will be) so I ask you all to please take a few moments of your time to vote.**

**See you next time!**


	13. Chapter 13: Change

**Chapter 13: Change**

**Cyclonis P.O.V.**

_A sharpened blade meets an electrified staff. Lightning flashes._

"_What do you think you'll accomplish by this?" The voice is withered, yet defiant. "Without me, there is no Cyclonia! They will never follow you!"_

_A sinister laugh, deep and oily. "Oh, I don't need them to follow me." A lunge. The sound of clashing metal. "For there to be a Cyclonia, all I need is a Cyclonis. And luckily for me..." A backwards glance. Red, soulless eyes pierce into pink ones, wide with terror. "There's more then one."_

_The withered voice roars. "You will not touch her!"_

_Another laugh. "Watch me."_

_Lightning flies. A dodge, then a punch. A stumble. The blade falls, aimed towards defenseless flesh..._

* * *

I awake with a gasp.

It takes a moment for me to register with reality. My eyes fly around the room franticly, searching for the missing fighters, for the lightning, the steel, the eyes...

_...those eyes._

My whole body shudders.

Those eyes... so cold... so... evil... as if any kindness and compassion they once held had been simply... _obliterated._

I start to tremble, though for the life of me, I don't understand why. It's like my body is afraid of something that my mind has forgotten.

"...mmmm..."

I freeze at the sound. I'm suddenly aware of two slender arms wrapped around me. I feel someone's warm, steady breath against the back of my neck.

_Piper..._

I press myself closer to her. Her arms hold me tighter, protectively. Warmth spreads through me at the simple, yet indescribably tender motion. For the next few minutes, I close my eyes and do nothing but focus on her heartbeat. Slowly, the trembling lessens and my own heartbeat slows.

_It was just a dream,_ I thought with relief. But then I had a filled me with confusion and a little bit of worry. _But... since when do I dream?_

Pushing the thought from my mind, I crack open my eyes, actually able to take in my surroundings now. Like the rest of the house, the walls are painted a faded green color, like the underside of a leaf. A ceiling fan spins slowly, sending a cool breeze throughout the room. The light of the morning sun streams onto my back through the blinds of the single window behind the bed, giving the room a soft glow that adds to the already comfortable atmosphere. It gave me the urge to simply stay in bed wrapped in Piper's arms all day.

Alas, it was not to be. With a quiet creak of rusted hinges, the guestroom door opened slightly, just enough for a head of forest-green hair to peek into the room. I had to bite back a giggle as, when a pair of sky-blue eyes fell on myself and Piper, their owner's face turned a deep shade of red.

"Piper?" Her voice was soft and hesitant, clearly embarrassed at having seen the two of us in such an intimate position. However, her current reaction did not hold a candle to the one she'd expressed last night when she apologized that the guest room only had one bed, and Piper had informed her that that would not be a problem. "'Zyclonis? Are you two still asleep?"

I was tempted to feign sleep to have a few more moments of peace with my love, but thought better of it. I tilted my head up slightly, looking over Piper to match her gaze. "I am awake, Comma-... Dove." I whisper so as not to awaken Piper. "Do you require something?"

Dove, apparently not expecting an answer, (or maybe hoping not to receive one) seemed startled, but quickly covered it with a sheepish smile. "I, um, was just going to tell you, or, rather, you and Piper, zat, um, I was almost finished with breakfast. I mean, um, if you what some, zat ez."

I couldn't help but laugh lightly at her awkwardness. I was reminded of an old adage I had heard Ravess say before one of our... sessions... in regards to the Storm Hawks, and Skyknights in general. _"Warriors on the battlefield, children anywhere else." _I was beginning to realize just how true that statement was. I felt a pang of sadness at the thought of my only female general. I shrugged it off. "I think a warm meal would be a nice change of pace, all things considered. Thank you, Dove."

She seemed surprised at my thanks. I felt a bit stung, but, given who I was and how she had viewed me up until last night, I let it slide. "Y-Your welcome. Breakfast should be ready in five minutes." And with that, Dove pulled herself back into the hall and quietly shut the door.

I stared at where she'd left for a moment, still amazed at my situation: deep within enemy territory, virtually on Atmosia's doorstep, being held in the arms of one Skyknight while another made me breakfast. And all the while knowing that once I returned "home," it will be with the intention of undoing four generations of work.

It was surreal, to say the least.

I rolled myself around as lightly as I could in her arms. Now able to see her face, I was once again stunned by her beauty. I don't know if it's because of my infatuation or if everyone who has seen her has had similar thoughts, but I have every confidence that if I was given a millennium to describe and explain Piper's radiance... I'd run out of time.

Regretfully, I shook her shoulder slightly to awaken her. "Piper, it's time to get up." She shifted a bit and mumbled incoherently, but still she slept. I sighed. I noticed how, with her new position, she was now framed against the lit window, just like she'd been by the cave's entrance just a day ago. She looked so lovely... so angelic...

_...angelic..._

I feel a small smirk spread across my lips. I lean in close to her, putting my lips just a hair's width from her ear. Softly, my voice less than a whisper, I breath, "Time to rise, Angel."

The effect is immediate as I see a small shiver run through her body. Slowly, a single amber eye slides lazily open. Piper gives me a sleepy smile. Closing her eye again, she leans forward, taking my lips in a soft kiss that I avidly return. We stayed like that for a few moments before she pulled away.

"Morning," I say quietly.

"Morning," she answers, her voice still thick with sleep. She then gives me a smirk. "Angel, huh?"

I felt my face heat up at that. "W-Well, since you gave me a pet name, I thought it only fair that I do the same."

Piper's smirk faded into a kind smile. "Angel... I like it." She chuckled. "Though, I don't think 'Cy' really counts as a pet name, it's just your real name shortened."

At that my gaze lowered, embarrassed for not realizing something so obvious. "Oh..."

My eyes snapped back up when I felt Piper press her forehead against my own, her warm amber eyes taking up all of my vision. "It's okay." she said softly. "'Just means I'll have to start thinking of one."

I returned her smile, wishing beyond reason that we could just lay here all day.

_*growl*_

_...of course..._

Piper laughed at the blush I knew was heating my cheeks. "Well, I guess that's our cue for breakfast." She gently started to untangle our limbs, and, reluctantly, I complied. As she sat up and faced towards the window, she stretched out her arms, a distinct popping sound coming from her stiff joints. She sighed at the feeling. "Ohhh... man, does it feel good to sleep in a real bed again!"

As I sat up next to her, an idea came to me. I couldn't resist. In as sultry a voice as I could manage, I whispered in her ear."Are you sure that it's the bed... or the company?"

I bit back a laugh as she whirled around, blushing furiously. Then she smiled kindly. "Well... that certainly didn't hurt."

My smirk faded to match her smile. The two of us got off the bed, myself stretching as I did so. I had to admit, she wasn't wrong; while not exactly worthy of royalty, the simple full-sized bed was a vast improvement over the cave floor.

I bobbed my head towards the bathroom door. "I'm going to freshen up a bit."

"Okay," Piper said, moving towards the door out of the room. "I'm going to go eat. I think I smell bacon."

As she walked out my stomach growled again. _Real food. Not just cooked fish; an actual meal._

I pushed that thought away and walked into the bathroom. Turning on the sink, I splashed cold water on my face, chasing away the last remnants of sleep. I looked up at the mirror, peering into my own deep... dark... violet...

I blinked.

I blinked again.

...

_What in the Wastelands!?_

I leaned as close to the mirror as possible, my hand touching just below my eye in disbelief. All my life, my eyes have been a dark purple, cold and uncaring, like storm clouds blocking out the sunset. But now they're... they're... light violet. Bright, warm, more akin to a clear sky just before the sunrise. In fact... if they were just a shade lighter they'd be... well, they'd be... be...

Pink.

My mind went blank, unable to comprehend this impossibility. Then, a memory that feels to have happened an eternity ago comes forward.

* * *

_"What's wrong with your eyes?"_

_ "What?"_

_ "Your eyes. They just changed color."_

_ "Excuse me?"_

_ "Your eyes just... didn't you feel that just now?"_

_"I'm a little stressed right now. I think I'm allowed to have a headache."_

* * *

_My headaches._

For the last few months now, I'd been having small headaches. They were always very brief, little more than an annoyance. Usually they came only once in a great while, maybe once a week. But for the last week, they'd been coming more and more frequently, sometimes within hours, even minutes of each other. And then... yesterday... when Piper said yes... the pain... sharper then usual... like I could feel the pain traveling, not only through my head, but also through my... my eyes.

I stare at the mirror, trying to make sense of this... madness. There were few things that could cause a physical change such as this, all of them having... less than desirable implications.

_I need to talk to Piper._

Yet, despite all the turmoil that is surging through my head, a small part of my mind takes note of something: just how different I look now. Gone were my robes of royalty, replaced with standard Skyknight dress. Gone were the dark rings that had circled my eyes, a mixture of eyeshadow washed away long ago and the culmination of a lifetime of sleepless nights. Based solely by the girl staring at me from the mirror, it would seem that gone was Master Cyclonis. In her place stood a girl who was... normal. The only remaining link between the two was her violet, borderline black shoulder length hair.

I stare at this girl, and she stares back, her eyes kind.

I stare at this girl.

And I like what I see.

* * *

**A/n: Before anyone says anything, yes, I KNOW IT'S SHORT. And there's a reason for that. Lately, I have contracted a disease that has prevented me from writing. That disease is called Writer's Block. It is an insufferable illness, especially for those who wish desperately to have their story fully realized, and have the entire plot painstakingly plotted out, yet for the life of them cannot put it into words. But fear not! For one day, hopefully in the very near future, I shall recover from this most evil of sicknesses, and this story will go on. **

**For the Atmos! For Cyclonia! I will prevail!**

**See you!**

**(Oh, and, P.S.: Starling won. Shocker. ;) )**


	14. Chapter 14: Homeward Bound

**Chapter 14: Homeward Bound**

**A/n: Prepare thyselves for the mother of all exposition dumps. Apologies in advance.**

* * *

**Piper's P.o.V.**

I love Dove.

Why? Three reasons: French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon.

Entering the kitchen/living room, I was instantly assaulted by the sweet smells of cinnamon and sugar. Dove stood over the stove, casually flipping the sweet slabs of bread onto a plate. Already on the table were three plates filled with eggs and bacon.

Just looking at the sight made my mouth water. Hey, you try going four days with nothing to eat but caught fish and berries!

Dove, noticing me walk in, turned towards me with a smile. "Mornin', Piper."

I chuckled. "Same to you Dove." I looked around the room, noting a distinct lack of hyperactive short men. "I'm guessing Wren is still out?"

"Uh-huh," Dove said as she placed the plate of French toast on the table. As she grabbed a pitcher of syrup off the counter, she bobbed her head to the right. I noticed an ancient looking radio wedged between the toaster and the blender. "Pépé called in earlier. 'Zaid 'e wouldn't be 'ome until two."

"Oh," I said, sitting down to eat. One mouthful of eggs later left me in tasteful bliss.

As I put two slices of French toast on my plate, drenching them in maple syrup, I couldn't help but notice Dove's eyes darting between me and the table. That couldn't be good. Swallowing my food, I asked her, "Is something wrong?"

Dove's eyes snapped to me, holding my gaze. Then she looked away, her shoulders slumping. "Pépé... Pépé asked me for a status report when 'e called."

A small chill ran down my back as I slowly let my fork down on the table. "What did you tell him?"

Dove looked up suddenly, putting her hands up in a defending matter. "No, no, I didn't tell 'im about 'Zyclonis! I 'zimply told 'im that you 'ad stopped 'ere for the night before rendezvousing with 'Ze Storm 'Awks."

I let out a sigh of relief. I was usually the one to make quick runs between Terras whenever the _Condor_ was unable to make the trip for whatever reason, so me staying the night on Gale wouldn't seem that out of place. "But wait," I said, confused. "Then what's the problem?"

Dove looked down, as if she couldn't meet my eyes. "Well..." She started. "... when 'e asked for the report, I froze for a moment. Not because I 'ad to lie to Pépé, mind you. I 'ave kind of gotten use to doing so since..." She trailed off, but I noticed a hint of a blush tint her cheeks, causing me to smile despite myself. "No, I froze because... well... it was hard for me not to mention 'Zyclonis simply out of habit." I couldn't fault her for that. Even though Dove had met her the night before, as a Skyknight, she, like all Skyknights, is hardwired to give any information on the Cyclonian queen or her forces. Dove went on, getting more awkward with her words as she went on. "The thought was so 'ard for me to grapple with... I just couldn't 'elp but wonder... I mean..." She took a deep breath, then looked me directly in the eyes. "How are you going to tell them?"

Ah. There it was, the million-dollar question.

I closed my eyes in thought, my food forgotten. Last night, me and Cyclonis had been so happy just to be back in civilization, to be met with the prospect of a hot shower and a warm bed, that we hadn't really had the thought to discuss what would happen next. I think Dove could tell how exhausted we were. When Cy went to take her shower, I tried to fill in Dove as best I could. The ambush at Blizzaris, Cyclonia's invasion plan, the Murk Raiders; everything I could think of. Well, almost everything. I left out the Mind-Absorption Crystal, mostly because, despite my feelings for Cy... I don't think I'll ever be able to put that... that _pain_ behind me.

When I mentioned the invasion, Dove's eyes reached a width I did not think humanly possible. This, in turn, was a surprise to me. Dove knew nothing about the full scale invasion Cy had sent out. At this point Cy, finished with her shower, had joined us again, disbelief growing in her eyes as we heard Dove explain that, of the fifteen airships Cyclonis had sent out to attack, only three had followed through with it; the attacks on Wallop, Mesa, and Rex. Of the three, only the attack on Mesa, led by Snipe, was successful, due to the only active Skyknight of that Terra being our friend(?) Starling. That is, until the arrival of reinforcements in the form of the Rex Guardians, the Absolute Zeros, and, to my shock, the Storm Hawks.

Unfortunately, having only received the reports via radio, Dove didn't have much in the way of details, much to my discontentment. The way it sounded, though, was that Starling raised the alarm upon catching sight of Snipe's bloated battle cruiser, to which both the guys and the Zeros showed up to help, the Guardians showing up near the end of the fight after dealing with the their own problems. The result was twenty-four captured Cyclonians, Snipe included, being held on Atmosia for questioning.

Hearing that lifted a heavy weight off my chest. If the guys were willing to fight off a Cyclonian invasion, then that meant that Aerrow must have recovered. After getting blasted by the Dark Ace like that, his health had always been in the back of my mind. Now I knew that my big brother was safe, lifting my spirits higher then I thought possible.

Cy, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. As Dove talked, you could see the energy just drip out of her. Looking at her, her eyes on the ground, her lips a tight line, the only word that could describe her was... numb. Not angry, not sad, not frustrated, just... numb. Shortly after that we all went to bed, an unspoken agreement that we'd figure everything out in the morning.

Well, now it was morning, and now Dove wanted answers. But, of course, out of all the possible questions that must be going through her head, she had to ask the hardest of them: How do I tell the guys about Cy?

"I.. I don't really know." I let out a humorless laugh. "There's just so much I have to tell them. The fact that I'm in a relationship at all is probably going to weird them out. And when I tell them it's with a girl, it's gonna make their mind's stall. And then, when I tell them it's Master Cyclonis of all people?..." I put my head in my hands, resting my elbows on the table. "Oh, Stork's gonna have a heart attack."

Dove put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Could I make a suggestion?"

I looked back up at her. "I'm all ears."

"Well, after you get done giving Stork CPR..." We both had a small laugh at that. "... after everyone calms down, 'ave them talk with her."

I cocked an eyebrow. "That's it? Just have her talk to them?"

"Well, it worked with me. And, given 'ow Pépé raised me, and..." She took a deep breath, her voice growing quieter. "...and given all I've lost..." A tiny smile formed on her lips. "... the fact she managed to win me over says quite a bit."

A smile spread on my lips, but faded quickly. "Still, I doubt they'll want to listen."

"Then _make_ them listen. Piper, I've seen 'ow you Storm 'Awks operate. You're not just a squadron; you're a family. I can only wish my squad was that close. Make them believe in you, not as their squadmate, but as their sister. Do that, and I'm sure everything will turn out okay."

I let her words sink in. I really hope it will be that simple. I _pray_ it will be that simple. I let out a sigh. "Something tells me there's still going to be a lot of yelling."

Dove just laughed. "Oh, definitely. Don't forget, Finn and his big mouth are on your squad."

At that, I didn't know whether to laugh or groan.

A comfortable silence settled in for a few minutes as we ate. I glanced back down the hall. _I wonder what's taking Cy? Shouldn't take this long to 'freshen up.'_

I was almost done with my first piece of French Toast when Dove asked a question. "Do you love her?"

It took everything I had not to choke on my food. As it was, I had to force down a swallow of half chewed food before I could answer. "Come again?" I rasped out.

Dove's face quickly turned a light shade of pink. "W-Well, I was just wondering... you seem to 'ave little reservation on being with her... and you're a bit protective of her... I was just curious 'ow serious you two are."

I stared at her for a moment, before lowering my gaze to the table, sorting my thoughts. I took a deep breath before looking up. "It's complicated. I've only really known her for a few days, you know? There is so much about her I don't know. But... that's part of it. She's just so... _different_ then I expected, then we _all_ expected. She's... kind. And sweet. And her eyes... how they can be so cold and calculating one minute, and the next... so warm... it's incredible." A sigh escapes me as I meet Dove's gaze. "In the back of my mind, there's still this little voice, always questioning her; whether this is really her or if it's all an act. However... the more I see from her, the quieter that voice gets."

A small smile spreads across my face. "Odd as it is, there's no question I care about her. And if this the real her, if this really is the girl behind the mask... I think I'd be willing to go all the way." I gave a silent laugh. It felt weird to say all this out loud, but in a good way. "I guess the answer to your question, Dove, is... not yet... but almost."

Dove let my words sink in for a moment. Then a wide smile graced her lips as her eyes flitted behind me.

I gave a small jump as two slender arms wrapped around my neck, a familiar voice whispering in my ear.

"Well, I'll just have to work a little harder, won't I?"

I smile, looking at her through the corner of my eye. "I think you're doing just fine." I say, leaning into her hug.

Cy gives me a small squeeze before taking her own seat. A quick "thank you" to Dove and she started eating.

Looking over at the Rebel Duck, I'm struck by the change in her demeanor. In the span of just a few seconds, she went from happily enjoying her meal to absently picking at her food. Her smile had faded, almost looking... sad.

"Dove?" I ask, putting down my fork. "You okay?"

Blue eyes shot up, startled. "W-wha...? Oh! Oh, I'm... fine, Piper." Her eyes trailed back down to her food, her appetite apparently lost.

Now I was worried. She sure didn't _sound_ fine. I glance at Cy, and can tell she's thinking the same thing, her attention now focused on the forest haired girl. "Dove," I say again, a bit more forcefully. I wait until her eyes rise from her plate before continuing. "What's wrong?"

I could see a quick flicker of reluctance in her eyes, before seeing them flicker between us once again. She sighed. "You two... being together... you make it look so natural. So... _easy_." She looked away, not meeting our gazes.

Understanding, I send a quick glance at Cy. After receiving a nod from her, I reach across the table, placing my hand over Doves. "Dove, we promise, we'll do everything we can to help you get her, okay?"

Dove was silent. Then, she looked up, first at me, then at Cy. She smiled. "Thank you Piper, Cyclonis."

I returned her smile, removing my hand. To my right, Cy spoke. "Y'know, it would be easier to help you get her if we knew who 'her' was." She sounded slightly annoyed, but lighthearted.

Yeah, when Cy first left me and Dove alone last night, the first thing I did was try to get a name to put with Dove's crush. Unfortunately, she was quite tight-lipped on the subject.

And that hadn't seemed to change. "Sorry girls, but... I'm just not ready to say who she is yet."

I'll admit, I that left me a bit miffed, but I gave her an understanding smile all the same. "Well, when you are, you know we're willing to listen." _Still..._ "Could you just tell me one thing, though, just to sate my curiosity?" After a second, she nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Is she a Skyknight?"

Dove's eyes widened a bit, and I was afraid I had gone to far. Then, almost to soft to hear, she whispered:

"_...yes..."_

Well, it's a start at least. Deciding I'd gone far enough, I instead turned my attention to finishing breakfast.

Once we'd all had our fill, I looked at Cy. I could see her violet, almost pink eyes (had they gotten even lighter?) harden slightly. I recognized the look, having seen Aerrow do something to similar effect when the situation required. Cy just went into something akin what I've come to call 'Commander Mode.'

"Dove," She asked, her voice business like. "Do you mind if I ask you a... _serious_ question?"

Dove looked at her, and, for a brief moment, I saw her be taken aback by the look in Cy's eye, she too recognizing it. As she folded her hands on the table, her own eyes gaining that subtle sharpness, she replied. "Okay, shoot."

Cy nodded. "On the day of my... _failed_ invasion..." Despite everything, I could hear a faint bitterness at that. "...did you notice... _anything_ that day?"

Dove contemplated for a moment, deep in thought. Then, she snapped her fingers. "Actually, 'zere was 'zomthing, I believe." She got up from the table and walked to the kitchen counter. Scanning over it's surface, she zeroed in on a pile of broken microwave parts. She brushed the parts casually off the counter, gears and screws rolling aimlessly on the ground, revealing a simple bound book, it's many pages dogeared and stained from years of use. I recognized it as a field logbook.

She placed it on the table and started skimming through the latest entries. As she did I noticed two things: One, that, despite the book's outward appearance, the sheer amount of written text indicated how meticulous Gale's record keeping must be, and, two, there were two kinds of handwriting. One was the big, blocky, almost crude lettering I recognized from Wren's occasional reports, while the other was written in small, clean, perfect cursive, almost calligraphic; the kind of handwriting you'd kill to have. I realized this must be Dove's, a realization that I was surprised had, well, surprised me.

"Aha!" Dove said, her finger placed over an entry dated five days ago, written in Wren's scribbling. "'ere we go. '**1504: Two Cyclonian scouts spotted near south boarder. 1511: Cyclonian scouts leave Gale, head south.**'" Here the text switches over to Dove's handwriting, the words 'Guard Change' written above it by Wren. "_1541: Cyclonian Battle Cruiser spotted on horizon. Scrambling squadron contemplated. 1545: Cyclonian Cruiser holding position, estimated six to __six/half klicks out._'" Dove looked up from the book and stared at us. "I remember now. Just after I swapped out with Pépé, I saw a cruiser. I was about to get my squad, when the ship just stopped. I just watched it hover for about twenty minutes, when it just turned and left." She looked down at the book for confirmation. "Here, see? '_1558: CBC leaves, headed southeast._'" The entry ended there, the next one beginning on the following day. "'aven't really seen any Zyclonians since then, save you."

Cy looked at the words herself, her expression not of anger, but of confusion. "That... doesn't make sense."

Me and Dove shared a look, the same thought running through our heads. This conversation, despite the professional attitudes, was a bit awkward, all things considered. We had both expected Cyclonis to be enraged at the thought of her soldiers defying orders like that. So why wasn't she?

"Cy?" I ask tentatively. "What's wrong."

Cy looked at me and sighed. "The ship I sent to Gale was lead by Ravess." My eyes widened a bit, as did Dove's. "As you know, Ravess is tenacious with her missions; she hates to lose and is dedicated to whatever objective is given to her. It's why she's my- _one_ of my most trusted generals."

My brow rose slightly at her apparent slip-up. The way she fought down her own words, it was almost like she was hiding something from herself.

She continued. "Therefore, it makes no sense why she, of all people, would leave without even _attempting_ a fight. This was most likely the most important mission I'd ever given any of my forces, so why, out of all of them, did she not fight. Especially considering her big oaf of a brother was one of the only people to follow the plan."

Cy seemed to notice our bewildered expressions. "What? I'm not blind; Snipe's only good at two things: smashing things and threatening people. In that order."

I had to stifle a laugh at that, which made a small smile form on Cy's lips, though it quickly faded. "It just doesn't make sense. Why stop? Why _leave?_"

Seeing how much this was bothering her, I put my own mind to work, mulling over what little we knew. In the back of my mind, something was nagging me. "Southeast..." I mumble to myself. Then it clicked. "Dove, do you have a Terra Map?"

She nodded. "Yes... somewhere..." She trailed off, looking around the unkempt house. Getting up again, she started opening drawers, scattering junk, even checking inside the refrigerator. Finally, with a yell of triumph, she pulled the rolled up map from between the couch cushions. How it got there, I don't even want to know.

She unfurled the map on the table so we could all see it, all of us no standing to get a good look. It was weathered, but not much older then the one I use on the _Condor_. Of note about it was that, unlike mine, there was no border line between blue territory of Atmosia and the red of Cyclonia, with each capitol Terra marked as such. Instead, all the Terras just sat on their own on the yellowed paper. It looked odd seeing Cyclonia seemingly on equal level with the other Terras.

I pushed those thoughts aside as I pointed at the map. "Okay, here's Gale." I said pointing to the said Terra. "Now, we know that Ravess came directly from Cyclonia." I drew an imaginary line between the two, Cyclonia lying almost directly south of Gale. "But when she left, she was headed southeast. And the nearest Terra in that direction is..." I trailed off as I drew the line, my finger falling on...

"Amazonia..." Cy's voice was faint, wrought with confusion. "But... how...?"

I shrugged my shoulders, equally confused. "Maybe, after we went overboard, the _Tempest_ managed to send of a distress signal?"

The violet-eyed girl thought for a moment. "Well... it's certainly _plausible_. Ravess is very loyal to me. If she received word that my flagship was under attack, to the point I'd be in need of reinforcements, it's possible she'd deem that having precedent over the invasion." Her frown deepened. "But... if that's what happened, that leaves two rather... _troubling_ questions."

Dove tilted her head in thought. "And 'zose would be?"

Cyclonis shook her head, frustrated. "Well, number one: What took her so long. As much as I respect Ravess, she's nothing if not rash. If she did receive some type of distress call, I have no doubts it would take her less then a few minutes to make a choice between attacking or coming to the Tempest's aid. And yet the _Viola_- that's what Ravess named her cruiser." She clarified for us seeing our confusion. "The Viola hovered just beyond Gale for over _twenty minutes_. Something kept from acting, I'm sure of it. The question is what."

I let that sink in for a moment, then asked, "And... the other question?"

Cy let out a deep sigh, and I in her eyes was something I'd seen often in our short time together: worry. "That... is a bit more disconcerting." She placed a finger over Amazonia. "If we're right, and Ravess was responding to a distress signal..." Her finger drew a large circle around Amazonia, passing through Terra's Gale, Neon, Glockenchime, and Wallop, all relatively the same distance from the center Terra. "So too should have they."

I looked at the map in thought. She was right. If Ravess had received an S.O.S. from her position at Gale, so should have the forces at the other three. Heck, Wallop was even closer to Amazonia then Gale is.

"Well," Dove begins. "Maybe 'zey did. None of 'zose Terras 'ad reports of attacks. I defiantly would 'ave noticed if the Timepulse 'ad shut down again."

Cy gave me a look as the same realization she had had hit me. "I don't think that's what happened, Dove."

Her brow raised in question. "Why not?"

"The Murk Raiders attacked the Tempest with three of their ships, including _The Blood Crow_. That may be a lot of fire power, but with the Crow damaged from the battle, and the other two towing the _Tempest_, even if only two Cyclonian cruisers showed up, they would have wiped the floor with the Murk Raiders. Then it would have been nothing for them to rescue Cy-... us."

Cy caught my slip up and looked away, almost ashamed. She seemed to be trying to think of something to say, but remained silent.

She looked back to me when she felt my hand on her shoulder. I smiled reassuringly. "Hey, in the past, right?"

She stared back at me in surprise. Then she smiled softly. "Right."

Dove looked between us, half-smiling, before her face fell, catching on. "But that's not what happened, is it?"

Cy sighed, before looking back to our forest-haired friend. "No Dove, that is _not_ what happened. We spent _five days_ stranded on Amazonia. And as enjoyable as those five days may have been..." She glanced at me, smile evident, which I returned. "It doesn't change what happened. If we take what we have pieced together as fact..." She said, glancing at the map and the logbook. "Then that leaves one, glaring problem: Ravess abandoned the invasion plan in favor of rescuing me, and yet she never arrived. No one arrived; not her, not another general, not even..." She trailed off, her voice sounding... broken.

Realizing I was missing something, I questioned Cy. "Not even who, Cy?"

She looked at me briefly, before looking away. She was reluctant to say what she was thinking. Then she let out a small groan of defeat. "Dark Ace..." I stiffened at the name. "Dark Ace was stationed to attack Terra Wallop. If Ravess received a distress call, so did he. There is no reason that, between both of them, neither would arrive. And then, on top of everything, there's that line Scabulous said right before he sent us falling. 'It's just business.'" She took a frustrated breath, letting out through her nose as a deep scowl formed. "I'm missing something. I'm missing something important, and I don't like it."

Hearing the cracks in her voice made my heart heavy. This was really eating at her, and you could hear in her voice that she was barely holding it together.

I stepped closer to her, placing my hand over hers. Without looking at me, she slowly upturned her palm, intertwining her fingers with mine. I gave her hand a small squeeze, which she returned, rather strongly.

The kitchen was silent for a moment. I heard Dove awkwardly shift her weight from foot to foot, but I ignored her, letting Cy take as long as she needed.

She let out a breath. Then she turned to me, a look of determination in her bright eyes. "Call your friends."

Cue my eyes just about popping out of their sockets. "Wait, what?"

Cyclonis laughed lightly at what I assume was the look on my face. Then her features turned solemn, though a small smile remained. "Something is going on behind the scenes. I have a theory, but I desperately hope I'm wrong. Long story short, I'm not sure who I can trust. Now, I'm not saying I trust the Storm Hawks." She looked me square in the eyes. "But I _am_ saying that I trust you."

My mind a bit overwhelmed, I defaulted to the basics, i.e., I looked for any signs of deceit or trickery. I felt a surge of warmth when I found none. She truly, by some miracle, truly trusted me.

"Dove," I say, never looking away from my girlfriend. "Do you mind if I-"

_Thunk!_

A heavy sound echoed through the house, shaking us from our thoughts, drawing our attention to the table. Looking down, I saw Dove's antique of a radio sitting in front of me, the girl herself standing rather smug beside me. "By all means."

Despite myself, I rolled my eyes at her bluntness. With a trained hand, I flicked on the radio, turning the transceiver to our usual frequency. I grabbed the mic. "SH-2 calling SH-Home, please respond." Silence. I glanced between the two girls, before trying again. "Repeat, this is SH-2 calling SH-Home, please respond." Static. _Come on guys. _"SH-Home, respond." _Maybe Finns asleep at the Comm?_ "This is SH-"

"**PIPER!?"**

The sudden yell of several familiar voices nearly sent all three of us to the floor. Trying to shake the ringing out of my ears I spoke. "Yeah guys, it's me."

The static returned for a moment, then...

"Piper, are you-?"

"Hey, let me-!"

"Give me-!"

"Would you three please-!"

I let out a groan as the radio sparked between static and the jumbled sounds of three voices, chattering, and a scuffle. I rubbed my temples as the mental image formed of Finn, Junko, Radarr, and Aerrow fighting over the radio mic, each trying to say something, while Stork just stands at the ships wheel, his eye ticking at the noise behind him.

I glance at Cy. "You sure you want to meet them?

She looked at the sputtering radio, her head tilted. "I'm starting to wonder..."

Behind us I hear Dove try (and fail) to stifle her laughter.

Apparently Aerrow won the fight for the mic, because it was his voice that came over the airwaves, thought I could hear Junko, Finn, and Radarr in the background. "Piper, is that you? Are you alright?"

I smiled at his concern. "I'm fine, Aerrow, none the worse for wear."

"Oh, good." He said, relived. In the background, I heard the others give a small cheer, which warmed my heart. Though, now it was my turn to be concerned.

"Are you okay, Aerrow? I mean, after... that..."

He chuckled. "Relax, Pipes. It wasn't too bad. A good nights sleep and gallon of burn ointment later and I'm better then ever."

_I'll be the judge of that._ I thought. Aerrow never admits being hurt when he is. I won't know if he's really okay until I see him.

"Where are you, Piper? How'd you get away from the Cyclonians?"

I glanced at Cy, who was just listening patiently, her face unreadable. "I'm on Terra Gale." Before he could ask another question, I cut him off. "Aerrow, it is a really, _really_ long story. I'd rather tell it when we're face to face."

"Okay, Piper." I could hear that he was a bit miffed, but he seemed to push that away in favor of being happy I was back. "We're hovering over Terra Saharr right now, it would be about six hours before we reach Gale."

Dove's face went pale, glancing at a clock on the wall. It was eleven. "Pépé will be home by then."

Swallowing the lump in my thought at the though of dealing with Wren seeing Cyclonis, I looked over the map in front of me. Salvation appeared. "Uh, Aerrow? I have a better idea. How about I meet you guys at The Wayside? I go your way, you go mine? We'd meet in the middle in about three hours."

Aerrow paused, but behind him I could hear Finn and Radarr cheer about 'finally getting a good meal.' I was confused until I realized that, without me, the guys would have to rely on _*shudder__*** **_Junko's cooking.

This apparently made Aerrow's decision for him. "Sounds like a plan, Piper. We'll meet you there."

"See you there, guys. Oh, and, Aerrow?" I looked at Cy and smiled. "I'll be bringing a friend."

* * *

**A/n: *PLEASE READ. IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS STORY!**

**I LIVVVVVVVEEEEEEEE!**

**I am sooooo sorry for taking forever guys. It wasn't until literally _this weekend_ that I finally got over my writers block. I realize this may not be my best work, but, hey, I did it, and by the powers that be, I'm proud of it!**

**This, however, made me realize something: I take way to long with my writing. Seriously. Last month marked the one year anniversary of this story (personal milestone, by the way) and yet only five days have passed in universe. At that rate, it would take me years to finish this fic, and that just dosne't sit right with me. Especially seeing how, stupidly, I started another fic (a Wreck-it Ralph fic) that people seem to absolutely adore, which I have unfortunately yet to update.**

**Therefore I am making up a schedule. I will have an update every week, alternating between this fic and the Wreck-it Ralph one. An I ask you, the readers, to please, if I miss a deadline, to please, from the bottom of my hearts, PM the hell out of me to get my F***ING $$ in gear. I have found that I work better under pressure, so maybe having a deadline will get the story moving faster. The schedule with be posted here and on my profile. Thank you.**

**June:**

**6/2/13 – A Light in The Dark Update**

**6/9/13 -Strength in Weakness Update**

**6/16/13 ALitD Update**

**6/23/13 SiW Update**

**6/30/13 ALitD Update**

**So, yeah, basicly every Sunday.**

***Smooooch* Goodnight, Everybody! (Seriously, it's like 1 a.m. right now...)**


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